Cookie consent · Qatar

Cookie consent for websites in Qatar

Yes. Qatar's Personal Data Privacy Protection Law (Law No. 13 of 2016) requires consent before personal data is processed, and websites must obtain it before setting non-essential cookies or running advertising and analytics tools. A banner shown while those tools already load does not meet the law. Consent must also be possible to withdraw.

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What your cookie banner has to do

Five points from Qatar's PDPPL.

Ask before analytics and ad cookies run
Nothing non-essential loads until the visitor answers. A banner that appears while the tools already run does not count.
Law No. 13 of 2016
Explain what you collect and why
Tell visitors what each category collects and use it only for the purpose you disclosed.
Law No. 13 of 2016
Withdrawal at any time
The settings stay reachable after the first answer, so consent can be withdrawn.
Law No. 13 of 2016
Children and sensitive data
Children's data needs the guardian's consent; data of a special nature needs explicit permission.
Law No. 13 of 2016
A record of each choice
Keep when the visitor chose and what they accepted or refused, so you can show it later.
Law No. 13 of 2016

Where the law stands

The PDPPL has been in force since January 2017, the first comprehensive data protection law in the GCC. The National Cyber Governance and Assurance Affairs, under the National Cyber Security Agency, enforces it. Fines reach QAR 1,000,000, or QAR 5,000,000 where special-nature or children's data is involved; there is no imprisonment. Companies in the Qatar Financial Centre follow the QFC Data Protection Regulations 2021 instead.

Qatar PDPPL guide

How Arqam360 does it

Arabic and English

A banner written in Arabic, not machine-translated, laid out right to left, with English beside it.

Tools wait for the answer

Google Consent Mode v2 signals stay denied until the visitor chooses, so Google and Meta tools hold back.

Every choice recorded

Each answer is kept with its date and time, so you can show who agreed and when.

Installs where you build

An app on Shopify and WordPress, or one line of code on any site. Or we install it for you.

Prices

Policy Pack	$149	Your privacy and cookie policies, written from a scan of your website
1-year pack	$1,499	We install the banner, test your Google and Meta tags and keep it running, for 1 website
3-year pack	$2,799	The same for 3 years, at a price fixed for 3 years

See what your site loads before consent

A free scan lists the cookies and tools your site sets, and which of them run before a visitor chooses.

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Questions

Do I need a cookie banner for a Qatari website?

If your site sets non-essential cookies or runs advertising or analytics tools, you need consent before they load. A banner that appears while those tags are already running does not satisfy the law.

What are the fines?

Up to QAR 1,000,000 for general violations and up to QAR 5,000,000 where data of a special nature or children's data is involved. The PDPPL carries no imprisonment.

Does the PDPPL apply to companies in the QFC?

No. Companies registered in the Qatar Financial Centre follow the QFC Data Protection Regulations 2021, in force since June 2022.

Who enforces it?

The National Cyber Governance and Assurance Affairs, under the National Cyber Security Agency.

How fast must a breach be reported?

Within 72 hours to the regulator, and to the people affected where the breach is likely to harm them.