The Shura Council State of Qatar

 The Shura Council on Monday held its regular weekly session  in Tamim bin Hamad Hall at the Council's headquarters, chaired by HE Speaker Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim.

At the outset of the session, HE the Speaker extended, in his own name and on behalf of Their Excellencies the Council members, greetings to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the occasion of the approaching Holy month of Ramadan, extending his warmest greetings and best wishes on this blessed occasion to His Highness, the people of Qatar, and all residents of Qatar, wishing them health, happiness, and prosperity, and hoping this month brings peace, security, and well-being to the Arab and Muslim communities.

Thereafter, HE Secretary-General of the Shura Council Nayef bin Mohammed Al Mahmoud read out the agenda, with the council endorsing the minutes of the previous meeting.

Upon invitation from HE the Speaker, the session was attended by HE Minister of Justice Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi, alongside various specialists from the ministry to present the ministry's efforts and its strategic plan, in addition to debating a raft of matters related to their operations in a variety of sectors.

HE the Speaker and Their Excellencies the members welcomed the Minister and lauded the efforts the Ministry has been undertaking to advance the justice system, as well as the quality of legal services, in pursuit of lending impetus to the development pathway and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 targets.

HE the Speaker applauded the senior guidance of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in backing the path of development and modernization in the justice sector, as well as deepening the principles of the rule of law and enhancing the efficiency of legal institutions.

This guidance represents a national framework reference to strengthen the quality of justice services and institutional performance, as well as support a legal environment that helps achieve comprehensive development, HE the Speaker underlined.

HE Al Mohannadi presented a comprehensive overview of the key features of the Ministry of Justice Strategic Plan 2025-2030, encompassing the achievements of various legal and service sectors at the ministry, including projects associated with automating agreements and international cooperation services, lawyers, experts, and arbitration.

This likewise includes developing the Qatar Legal Portal (Al-Meezan), the Official Gazette, and the Legal Journal, the Real Estate Registration and Disposal System development project, the Real Estate Platform, and the Smart Legal Assistant Project (Shor) to enhance the efficiency of legal cadres.

Al Mohannadi noted the Ministry's contribution to stimulating the business environment by reducing the fees for a large number of services it provides for the first time, while expanding the scope of exemptions. He highlighted the issuance of Decision No. (70) of 2025 regarding the Executive Regulations of Law No. (5) of 2024 regulating Real Estate Registration, the executive decisions of the law, and the amendments contained in Law No. (19) of 2025 amending certain provisions of the Attorney Law issued under Law No. (23) of 2006, which will help create new job opportunities for law firms.

He pointed out that the Ministry reviewed 1,576 government contracts between January and September 2025, as well as 1,200 agreements and memoranda during 2025, in addition to preparing 12 model contracts as references. This is alongside the recommendations issued by the Doha Legal Forum in the field of digital transformation and the legal regulation of modern technologies.

Regarding the development of real-estate documentation and registration procedures and services, Al Mohannadi noted the launch of the video-communication service for the first time, and the completion of 114,339 documentation transactions, of which 2,235 were electronic, and 43,680 real-estate registration transactions, of which 1,257 were electronic during 2025.

This in addition to documenting company registration transactions electronically and linking services with the Qatar Digital ID (QDI) system, which will help clients accomplish their transactions online without the need to visit the ministry or its external service offices, along with the registration of 800 real-estate brokers, updating the mapping program, and designing interactive boards for monitoring real-estate market movement, the minister pointed out.

The Minister further referred to the issuance of several decisions regulating Electronic Real Estate Registration and the Preliminary Property Registry, which organizes and defines the off-plan sales procedures, noting that this will contribute to the stability of investment operations in real estate development projects sold under construction and enhance their investment attractiveness.

He reviewed the role of the Legal and Judicial Studies Center in capacity building and research development, highlighting the center's receipt of the Arab Judicial Excellence Shield 2026, in addition to organizing legal workshops on AI in Justice, with the number of awareness workshops reaching 77 in 2025.

This reflects the efforts made to advance legal awareness across different community segments, alongside training curriculum development and the launch of specialized qualification programs, the Minister noted.

Regarding oversight of law firms, Al Mohannadi noted the registration of over 290 attorneys, the transition from paper transactions to electronic transactions at a rate of 80 percent, the issuance of magnetic ID cards for attorneys, and the integration of the Attorney Portal with internal and external entities.

He also mentioned the establishment of a platform for attorney inquiries, updates to the portal, the launch of a mobile application for attorneys, the linking of attorney IDs to the Qatar Digital Identity (QDI), and the launch of the "Sanad" support program for new attorneys.

The Minister further addressed international conventions, clarifying the Ministry's efforts to establish a unified central platform and a comprehensive data repository that includes all international conventions along with every update and procedural action, and to automate services related to conventions and international cooperation.

With regard to expert supervision, Al Mohannadi highlighted the registration of more than 400 experts, their classification based on qualifications and experience, the activation of monitoring and inspection over their work, the creation of an interactive platform for communication with experts, and the digitalization of all procedures pertaining to them.

Al Mohannadi discussed the arbitration system, noting the filing of 405 arbitration judgments during the period 2020-2025, the regulation of arbitrator registration, the organization of licensing for arbitration centers, the provision of fully integrated self-service digital arbitration solutions, the preparation of a draft Memorandum of Understanding to regulate cooperation in arbitration, the study of a draft agreement to establish a regional office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Qatar, and the establishment of a central platform for arbitration judgments and arbitration studies.

Regarding legal fatwas, he clarified the issuance of 14 legal fatwas, as well as four newsletters summarizing lessons learned from judgments issued against the State, and the formulation of strategic recommendations aimed at reducing the number of lawsuits.

The primer addressed the Ministry's policy in handling lawsuits filed by or against the State, noting the establishment of the State Litigation Sector under Amiri Decision No. (3) of 2025, which was previously a department within the Ministry's organizational structure.

This was followed by a structural reorganization encompassing the State Litigation Department, Case Studies and Analysis, Technical Support and Monitoring of Judgment Implementation, and the Legal Fatwa.

Al Mohannadi further elucidated that the state case system has become a core platform for the interoperability of all the sector's departments through the automation of internal and external procedures and administering the documents related to lawsuits electronically, in addition to activating notifications, thereby contributing to upgrading the performance and optimizing service quality.

The Minister noted the issuance of Cabinet Decision No. 1 of 2026 organizing the procedures for the direct handling of claims involving government entities, requiring the concerned entity to undertake settlement and dispute resolution initiatives before the case is formally filed.

This approach, he said, reinforces the methodology of early dispute resolution and strengthens the effectiveness of dispute management in government-related matters.

The Minister also highlighted the new arbitration plan, developed in collaboration with specialized training organizations, emphasizing the role of arbitration as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes and promoting stability in the business environment.

Having weighed in on this matter, the members commended the efforts of the Ministry of Justice in implementing its strategic plan, stressing the importance of continuing to develop digital legal systems, enhancing integration with government agencies, and accelerating the execution of projects related to legal and judicial services.

Their Excellencies praised the ministry's efforts in carrying out its strategic plan, underscoring the importance of consistently working to upgrade digital systems and strengthen integration with government agencies, in addition to accelerating projects related to legal and justice services.

The members stressed the importance of consolidating the principle of law and the justice system efficiency in keeping up with the national pathways aimed at developing legislation and advancing legal services provided to individuals and enterprises, as well as fostering trust in the nation's legal and investment environment.

They also called for the continued updating of the legislative framework, ensuring alignment with economic and technological developments, supporting the activation of the business environment, enhancing the nation's attractiveness for investment, and keeping abreast of advancements in digital transformation and the utilization of modern technologies in the legal field.

The members emphasized the importance of expanding training and capacity-building programs for the legal workforce, and supporting legal research and specialized studies, contributing to the preparation of qualified national competencies capable of addressing emerging legal issues, and enhancing performance quality across all sectors of the Ministry.

They further highlighted the importance of developing oversight and regulatory mechanisms in the areas of law practice, expert supervision, and arbitration, and strengthening transparency and institutional procedures, ensuring efficient service delivery and consolidating standards of professionalism, governance, and judicial excellence within the justice sector.

Finally, the members emphasized the importance of maintaining coordination and integration between the legislative and executive authorities in developing the legal system, thereby contributing to the achievement of national objectives and consolidating the nation's position as a regional and international legal hub.

In response to the observations of the members, HE the Minister of Justice affirmed that the Ministry is advancing its projects within the framework of the strategic plan (2025-2030), following a methodology centered on full automation of services and enhancing electronic integration with government entities, contributing to streamlined procedures and elevated performance efficiency.

HE Al Mohannadi clarified that the development of unified legal platforms, real estate registration and notarization systems, and the State cases system comes as part of modernizing the judicial work environment and enabling stakeholders to complete their transactions with ease and transparency.

He further stressed the Ministry's commitment to developing legal competencies and strengthening the regulatory frameworks for law practice, expertise, and arbitration, affirming its dedication to incorporating the Council's feedback in ways that support service quality and consolidate the efficiency of the justice system.

Upon wrapping up the session, HE the Speaker extended his gratitude and appreciation to the HE Minister of Justice on behalf of him and the members for his attendance and interaction. He underlined the council's commitment to backing the ministry's efforts to achieve the national objectives and enhance the efficiency of the nation's justice system.