Doha: Qatar has placed importance on data protection and organisations need to be updated with the latest data regulations to ensure the businesses and stakeholders are protected. The country is taking data privacy seriously and can guide the standards in the region said an expert during an event. Qatar was the first country in the region to have a comprehensive data privacy law.
The virtual event organised by Qatar Lawyers Association (QLA) entitled ‘A Year in Review: The Legislative and Judicial Developments in 2021’ shed light on the legislative developments, new mediation law, and the expanded jurisdiction of the Qatar International Court, Investment and Trade Court law.
Dr Susan L Karamanian, Dean of HBKU’s College of Law addressed data privacy in Qatar. “The world has started to celebrate and recognised Data Privacy Day. Qatar made announcement about the Data Privacy Day guidelines in January of last year. In the constitution of Qatar, Article 37 gives individuals right to property and focuses on respect to the person, their home, family and correspondence. Qatar was the first in the region to have a comprehensive data privacy law, to a certain extend it was drawn on the principles of the European Union’s building of law in the data privacy area and later reflected in the general data privacy regulation which is guiding some of the developments in the guidelines that government of Qatar announced this past year,” she said.
The compliance and data protection department of Ministry of Transport and Communications has prepared the guidelines which apply to processing personal data and are easily accessible, Dr Karamanian explained. “It is important we are in a country that is taking it seriously and I think Qatar will guiding the standards in the region,” she said.
Dr. Zain Al Abdin Sharar, Senior Legal Counsel for the CEO’s office at the Qatar International Court talked about the new law no 15 of 2021, amending law no 34 of 2005 regarding free zones in Qatar.
With issuing of the law no. 15 of 2021 the Qatar International Court and the regulatory tribunal has been given additional jurisdiction. So, under the new law the Qatar International Court has the jurisdiction to hear and decide all civil and commercial disputes arising between companies and entities that are registered in free zones or any other company or individual in Qatar.
“Qatar legislature is gradually expanding the jurisdiction of the Qatar International Court, the regulatory tribunal in order to enhance and improve the investment climate in Qatar. The new law will give the international companies that are registered in the free zones the availability and access to the Qatar International courts which is modeled on international leading commercial court and investors will be able to work under a procedure similar to those under the common law system which means international companies in the free zones will not have to litigate in the other courts in the state in the Arabic language,” he said.
“This will give the international investors the ability to litigate in English language and to use the state-of-the-art facility of the Qatar International Court. The new law will assist in attracting more companies and international investors to setup in the free zones and this will assist the companies there to do more businesses utilising the court services,” he added.
Dr. Ehab Elsonbaty, Partner in the Doha and New York city offices of DLA Piper discussed the topic ‘Legislative efforts for World Cup Readiness’ and shared ideas in relation to the regulatory and legal frameworks how Qatar is setting for the readiness of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and beyond it. Matthew Walker, Partner in the Doha and London offices of the international law firm K&L Gates discussed the topic ‘Qatar new mediation law and the Singapore Convention’ and about the features of Qatar’s mediation laws.
