
Qatar

Qatar is a Gulf state exhibiting low-level performance across all four categories of the Global State of Democracy framework. Although Qatar ranks in the top 25 percent of countries globally for Basic Welfare, it falls within the bottom 25 percent across most factors of democratic performance. Compared to five years prior, it has experienced significant declines in Economic Equality. Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas, making it among the richest countries per capita and allowing it to support expensive citizen benefits.
Qatar declared independence in 1971, after decades as a British protectorate and earlier Ottoman influence that ended in 1917. The Al Thani family has ruled since the 1860s, with political power centralized in the hands of the Emir. In 2021, Qatar held its first (and only) elections for the Shura (consultative) Council; however political parties were banned, and restrictive electoral laws excluded naturalized citizens from voting or candidacy. These exclusions led to arrests and heightened societal tensions. Notably, no women were elected, with only two later appointed by the Emir. In 2024, the country abolished Shura Council elections in a constitutional referendum that returned the council to being a fully appointed body.
Qatar is a Sunni majority country, with a small Shia minority. Non-Muslim faiths are restricted in their public worship, with the Baha’i faith especially repressed. Citizenship issues loom large, with Qatari citizens comprising roughly 12 per cent of the population and 5 per cent of the labor force. Even among citizens, divisions exist between original Qataris and those who are naturalized. Despite recent reforms supposed to dismantle the kafala system of worker sponsorship, migrant workers in the country face wage theft, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate redress mechanisms.
Qatar’s domestic politics are closely tied to its foreign policy. Its longstanding support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups across the region (especially since the Arab Spring) has served as a soft power strategy to boost its influence and camouflage its own pro-Western alignment, while simultaneously neutralizing potential Islamist opposition at home. The Brotherhood’s Qatari branch voluntarily disbanded in 1999, reflecting a tacit understanding with the ruling family that it would halt its political activities at home while the authorities supported the movement abroad. Qatar’s support for Islamist actors in Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria—including through positive news coverage on its popular channel, Al-Jazeera—sparked regional backlash, that culminated in the 2017-2021 embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, who perceived political Islam as a threat. The 2021 Al-Ula agreement ended the rift, allowing Qatar to reposition itself as a key mediator in key conflicts from Afghanistan and Libya to Ukraine and Gaza.
Qatar scores low in the GSoD’s measure of Gender Equality, with male guardianship laws constraining women’s ability to travel, obtain government IDs, and make independent decisions for their children. LGBTQIA+ groups are discriminated against, and same-sex relations criminalized.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch any signs of progress on Rights and Participation in Qatar, particularly in light of the referendum result ending Shura Council elections and the continued political exclusion of naturalized citizens and other migrant groups.
Last Updated: June 2025
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
November 2024
Constitutional referendum ends Shura Council elections
On 5 November, Qatar held a rare constitutional referendum. The vote, open to citizens aged 18 and older, saw a high turnout of 84 per cent. Among the valid votes cast, 90.6 per cent supported the proposed changes. These revisions included updates to 14 existing articles, the introduction of two new articles, and the removal of three. The most notable change is the elimination of elections for two-thirds of the members of the Shura Council, Qatar’s advisory legislative body. As a result, the council will return to a fully appointed body, following only one election in 2021. This referendum was Qatar’s second in history, with the first occurring in 2003, when the country voted to approve its Constitution.
Sources: Qatar News Agency (1), Qatar’s Shura Council, Qatar News Agency (2), Office of the Emir of Qatar, Qatar News Agency (3)
June 2024
Qatar considers reintroducing exit permits for domestic workers
On 24 June, Qatar's Shura Council proposed labour reforms, including the reintroduction of exit permits for domestic workers. The Council's reintroduction is intended to address citizen complaints about domestic workers leaving the country without informing their employers in advance. Under the proposed regulations, domestic workers would be required to obtain their employers' permission before leaving the country, with the application process facilitated through an online portal. Workers would need to submit their requests at least five days in advance and could appeal if permission is denied. Rights groups have raised concerns that, if the motion is accepted, it would undermine Qatar's earlier reforms in this area and increase the vulnerability of domestic workers to employer abuse, such as wage theft, which is already a prevalent issue in the country. Despite the visa sponsorship (kafala) system largely remaining unchanged, reforms made in 2018 and 2020 allowed most migrant and domestic workers in Qatar to leave the country without needing formal permission from their employers. If introduced, the new system would work for the authorities to manage the exit application and approval process while also identifying unauthorized departures.
Sources: The Shura Council of Qatar, Qatar News Agency, Migrant Rights
December 2022
Qatar implicated in EU Parliament corruption scandal
In Belgium, investigators looking into graft in the European Union (EU) have alleged that several members of the European Parliament accepted bribes from Qatar in return for furthering the country’s interests in EU communications and decision-making. The scandal has spurred increased scrutiny of the EU institutions and their vulnerability to corruption and foreign influence. The scandal was uncovered in an investigation by the Belgian State Security intelligence aimed at identifying instances of interference in public decision-making.
Sources: The Brussels Times, Politico
October 2022
International media restricted during the Football World Cup
A contentious provision has been added to the conditions for granting foreign media accreditation, ahead of the 2022 Men’s Football World Cup. The provision prohibits journalists from filming or photographing in “residential properties, private businesses and industrial zones”. A previous ban on reporting which would harm “Qatari public discipline, behaviour or Islamic customs” had been lifted. However, with Qatar in the spotlight over its documented mistreatment of LGBTQIA+ individuals and migrant workers, the new provision has been criticized as an attempt to prevent interviews with those groups and thereby coverage of sensitive topics.
Sources: Reporters Without Borders, The Guardian, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch
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Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024
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