The Qatar minimum wage is QAR 1,000 a month in basic wage for every worker and domestic worker. If the employer does not provide adequate housing and food, it must also pay at least QAR 500 a month for housing and QAR 300 for food, so the minimum package is between QAR 1,000 and QAR 1,800 depending on what is provided in kind. The rate comes from Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020, made under Law No. 17 of 2020, and has applied since 20 March 2021. The law requires a review at least once a year, and no decision changing the figure appears on the official legal portal as of October 2026.
For anyone on that package, the detail that matters at the end of a job is the word "basic". Qatar calculates gratuity, leave salary and overtime on the basic wage, so on the minimum package they run on QAR 1,000, not QAR 1,800. Put your own figures into the calculator below, then read how each payment works on the minimum.
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Qatar minimum wage: the three amounts
Decision No. 25 of 2020 sets three minimums, which it describes as covering the basic wage, food and adequate housing.
| Component | Minimum per month | When it applies | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic wage | QAR 1,000 | Always | Decision 25, Art. 2 |
| Housing allowance | QAR 500 | Only if the employer does not provide adequate housing | Decision 25, Art. 2 |
| Food allowance | QAR 300 | Only if the employer does not provide food | Decision 25, Art. 2 |
| Total | QAR 1,000 to 1,800 | Depends on what is provided in kind |
The decision says the rates are calculated on normal working hours under the Labour Law, which are 8 a day and 48 a week (Article 73), and under the domestic workers law. An employer that houses and feeds its workers can pay the QAR 1,000 basic alone. One that provides neither must pay at least QAR 1,800 in cash.
What Law No. 17 of 2020 says
The law is eight articles long, and five of them shape what a worker can claim.
- Who it covers. Every worker and every domestic worker, «أياً كان مستوى كسب أو مهارة العامل أو المستخدم أو ما يقوم به من مهام»: whatever their earning level, skill or tasks. It draws no line by nationality or occupation.
- No contracting out. A wage below the minimum is not allowed, and any agreement to the contrary is void (Article 3).
- Variable pay is topped up. Where pay is not fixed, for example commission or piece rates, and the month's total falls short, the employer must pay the difference as an additional wage (Article 4).
- An annual review. The minimum is set by ministerial decision and reviewed at least once a year against economic growth, competitiveness, productivity and workers' needs (Article 2), on the advice of the Minimum Wage Committee (Articles 5 and 6).
- Enforcement. The Ministry may suspend an employer's transactions when it breaks the law (Article 7).
The law itself took effect on 9 September 2020. The QAR 1,000 rate took effect six months after the decision was published, on 20 March 2021, which is why both dates are quoted for "the minimum wage".
What the minimum wage means for your gratuity
Article 54 of the Labour Law pays at least three weeks' wage a year, on the last basic wage, once you have completed a year. Article 72 says the same about the base. On the minimum package that base is QAR 1,000, so the housing and food allowances never enter the calculation.
| Service | Gratuity on QAR 1,000 basic |
|---|---|
| Under 1 year | QAR 0 |
| 1 year | QAR 700 |
| 2 years | QAR 1,400 |
| 5 years | QAR 3,500 |
| 10 years | QAR 7,000 |
Figures from the calculator above. The common mistake is to run the same calculation on the QAR 1,800 cash total, which gives QAR 6,300 for five years instead of QAR 3,500. A worker who budgets on the higher figure is QAR 2,800 short on the day they leave. If your basic wage is above the minimum, use your actual basic: the minimum is a floor, not the base. The full rules, including the one-year threshold and the cases where gratuity is lost, are in the guide to Qatar gratuity law.
Leave salary and overtime on the minimum wage
Leave salary and overtime use the same basic wage.
- Leave salary. The daily basic wage is QAR 1,000 ÷ 30 = QAR 33.33. A year's 21 days of annual leave are worth QAR 700 if they are paid out when you leave. The Qatar leave salary calculator does it for any balance.
- Overtime. The hourly basic wage is QAR 1,000 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = QAR 4.17.
| Overtime | Rate | Example | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime | ×1.25 | 10 hours | QAR 52.08 |
| Night, 9 PM to 3 AM | ×1.50 | 4 hours | QAR 25.00 |
| Friday rest day | ×2.50 | an 8-hour shift | QAR 83.33 |
| Public holiday | ×1.25 | an 8-hour shift | QAR 41.67 |
The Qatar overtime calculator works from the unrounded hourly rate, which is why 10 daytime hours come to QAR 52.08 rather than 10 × 5.21. The rest-day row is the higher of the two ways Article 75 allows the day to be paid.
Domestic workers
Law No. 17 of 2020 applies to domestic workers in the same terms, so drivers, nannies, cooks and gardeners are owed at least QAR 1,000 a month plus the housing and food allowances if those are not provided. In practice most live with the employer and are fed, so the cash minimum is usually the QAR 1,000.
Their end-of-service benefit comes from a different law, No. 15 of 2017. Its Article 15 pays at least three weeks' wage for every year after a full year's service, with part-years pro rata and debts deductible, and its Article 12 caps working time at 10 hours a day unless agreed otherwise. Article 15 says "wage" where the Labour Law says "basic wage", and Mukafi's calculator applies the Labour Law, so a domestic worker paid allowances in cash should check how the contract defines the wage before relying on the figure.
Common mistakes
- Quoting an hourly minimum of QAR 2. The law sets a monthly figure, not an hourly one. On the overtime basis of ÷ 30 ÷ 8 the minimum is QAR 4.17 an hour; spread over a 48-hour week it is about QAR 4.81. Neither is anywhere near QAR 2.
- Calculating gratuity on QAR 1,800. The allowances are excluded; the base is the QAR 1,000 basic.
- Treating accommodation as a reason to pay less basic. Housing and food in kind replace their allowances, not any part of the QAR 1,000.
- Dating the minimum wage to the law alone. The law dates from September 2020; the rate applies from 20 March 2021.
- Assuming the minimum was raised. The law requires an annual review, but no decision changing the figure has been published as of October 2026. Check Al Meezan before relying on any newer number.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in Qatar in 2026?
QAR 1,000 a month in basic wage, plus at least QAR 500 for housing and QAR 300 for food when the employer does not provide them, under Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020 and Law No. 17 of 2020. The figure has applied since 20 March 2021, and no decision changing it appears on Al Meezan as of October 2026.
Does Qatar's minimum wage include housing and food?
Not the QAR 1,000. That is the basic wage. If the employer does not provide adequate housing, it must add at least QAR 500 a month, and if it does not provide food, at least QAR 300, which brings the minimum cash package to QAR 1,800.
What is the minimum hourly wage in Qatar?
The law sets a monthly minimum, not an hourly one. For overtime, the hourly basic wage is the monthly wage ÷ 30 ÷ normal daily hours, which is QAR 4.17 on the QAR 1,000 minimum. Spread over a 48-hour week, the same wage works out at about QAR 4.81 an hour.
How much gratuity does a minimum-wage worker get in Qatar?
QAR 700 for each year of service after the first full year, because Article 54 pays three weeks' basic wage a year and the minimum basic is QAR 1,000. Five years come to QAR 3,500 and ten years to QAR 7,000. The housing and food allowances are not part of the calculation.
Does the minimum wage apply to domestic workers in Qatar?
Yes. Law No. 17 of 2020 covers workers and domestic workers alike, so a domestic worker is owed at least QAR 1,000 a month, plus housing and food allowances if those are not provided. Their gratuity comes from Law No. 15 of 2017, which pays at least three weeks' wage a year after a full year.
Can my employer pay less than the minimum wage if it gives me accommodation?
No. Accommodation and food provided in kind only remove the housing and food allowances. The QAR 1,000 basic wage is owed in every case, and any agreement to pay less is void under Article 3 of Law No. 17 of 2020.
What can I do if I am paid below the minimum wage in Qatar?
The employer is obliged to raise your wage to the minimum (Article 4), and the shortfall is owed as wages. You can complain to the Ministry of Labour, which may suspend the employer's transactions under Article 7 of Law No. 17 of 2020.
Where to go next
The minimum wage sets the floor; your own basic wage sets your end-of-service figure. Run it through the Qatar gratuity calculator with your dates, and if you are leaving, the Qatar final settlement calculator adds the gratuity, unused leave, notice pay and unpaid salary into one total.
Sources: official texts on the Al Meezan legal portal: Law No. 17 of 2020 on the minimum wage, Articles 1 to 8; Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020, Articles 1 to 5; Labour Law No. 14 of 2004, Articles 54, 72, 73, 74 and 75; Law No. 15 of 2017 on domestic workers, Articles 12 and 15. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with your employer, the Ministry of Labour, or a qualified lawyer before acting.