The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (“MoCI”) has introduced a new regulatory framework for delivery services and digital platforms in Qatar, marking a significant step toward strengthening consumer protection, promoting fair competition, and improving transparency across the country’s rapidly expanding digital commerce sector.
The newly issued guidelines establish a comprehensive framework governing the relationship between delivery platforms, restaurants and retailers, service providers, couriers, and consumers. The initiative is grounded in Qatar’s competition protection and consumer protection legislation and reflects the government’s broader push to regulate the digital economy more effectively.
Under the new framework, restaurants, retailers, and service providers retain the exclusive right to determine their own pricing structures. Digital platforms are prohibited from imposing prices, applying discounts, or altering prices without the explicit approval of the provider. The guidelines also prohibit price-fixing arrangements and restrictions that could undermine fair market competition.
The MoCI also placed strong emphasis on contractual transparency. Delivery platforms must now clearly disclose all fees, commissions, and financial arrangements in their agreements with service providers. Hidden charges and undisclosed commissions are expressly prohibited under the new rules.
For promotional campaigns and discounts, the guidelines require offers to be genuine, licensed, and non-misleading. Businesses must clearly display original and discounted prices, while promotional periods must be honoured exactly as advertised.
The framework also introduces operational obligations for delivery companies and couriers. Delivery personnel are required to comply with delivery timelines, ensure the safety and quality of orders during transport, maintain professional conduct, and refrain from imposing any additional charges on customers beyond the stated fees. Service providers are similarly obligated to respect declared prices, communicate preparation times accurately, and maintain product quality and safety standards.
Digital platforms must clearly identify paid advertisements and disclose the general criteria used in ranking and displaying businesses on their applications. Factors such as distance, customer ratings, delivery times, and service quality must be explained to users to prevent misleading practices or unfair visibility restrictions.
The MoCI further clarified rules governing cancellations and refunds. Consumers cannot be charged before an order enters preparation, while any charges after preparation must be limited to actual incurred costs without additional penalties or hidden fees.
The introduction of the guidelines comes amid rapid growth in Qatar’s delivery and e-commerce sectors, with digital platforms increasingly playing a central role in food delivery, retail distribution, and service-based transactions. The MoCI warned that all delivery companies and digital platforms operating in Qatar must comply with the new framework, adding that violations may result in legal action under applicable laws and regulations.
