The Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (“QICDRC”) has announced the implementation of an updated set of rules and procedures (“Rules”) for both the Qatar Financial Centre (“QFC”) Civil and Commercial Court (“Court”) and the QFC Regulatory Tribunal (“Tribunal”). The Rules align with international best practices in dispute resolution and reflect Qatar’s efforts to foster a transparent, responsive, and trusted legal environment, in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
These Rules are part of QICDRC’s broader efforts to modernise judicial processes, enhance procedural efficiency, and ensure timely access to justice by introducing several substantive amendments, including the adoption of the National Address system as a legally binding method for serving documents and submitting legal filings. This change aims to improve procedural certainty and expedite dispute resolution.
Jurisdictional provisions have been clarified to reflect recent amendments to the QFC Law, providing greater accuracy in outlining the competences of the Court and Tribunal. A default judgment mechanism also has been introduced, allowing the Court to proceed fairly and efficiently in cases where a party fails to appear.
Additionally, Practice Direction No. 1 of 2025 has been issued to provide detailed procedural guidance regarding the appeal process, ensuring clarity and a balance between efficiency and legal safeguards.
The Rules may be found on the QICDRC website at the following link: https://www.qicdrc.gov.qa/courts/court/regulations-and-procedural-rules?category=regulations
