Qatar reported the issuance of nearly 28,000 commercial registrations in 2025, marking a 57% annual increase, according to official data, which was released during the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s fourth quarterly performance review for 2025.
According to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), the meeting was chaired by Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and attended by Minister for Foreign Trade Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, Undersecretary of the MoCI Mohammed bin Hassan Al-Malki, along with other assistant undersecretaries and department directors.
The growth in commercial registrations aligns well with “Qatar National Vision 2030,” the Middle East country’s long-term development framework aimed at transforming its economy into a diversified, competitive, knowledge-based system that reduces dependence on hydrocarbons and expands private sector participation.
According to the latest data, the trade sector has exhibited notable progress, with the concerned authorities issuing 28,000 commercial registrations in 2025, alongside 34,500 business licenses, up 53% from 2024. The year also saw the registration of 16 auditors, along with the licensing of eight accounting firms and offices.
“The ministry’s Single-Window business service portal continued to expand its services, introducing 26 new initiatives in 2025. A total of 239,593 transactions were processed through the platform, 93% of which were completed electronically, reflecting the efficiency of digital transformation efforts. Customer satisfaction with electronic services reached 95% in the fourth quarter,” QNA reported.
In terms of attracting foreign investment, 12,449 non-Qatari companies were established in 2025, representing a 600% increase compared to 2024, highlighting the attractiveness of the Gulf country’s investment environment and investor confidence.
Intellectual property protection also improved in 2025. A total of 255 patents were granted, a 6% increase from the previous year, while trademark registrations reached 9,218, up 23%, and 258 copyright registrations were granted, an 89% increase from 2024.
In the industry and business development sector, manufacturing contributed approximately 14.2 billion Qatari riyals ($3.9 billion) to gross domestic product in the third quarter of 2025. The sector expanded with 39 new factories registered during the year, and the readiness of 100 factories was assessed under the Smart Industry Readiness Index.
“Investments in new factories in Q4 totalled 758 million riyals, while cumulative industrial sector investment reached 270 billion riyals. To improve the business environment and support the private sector, 10 public-private partnership projects were reviewed in 2025,” QNA remarked further.
There was another significant development, as the Q4 saw licensing procedures for industrial permits, preliminary approvals, and customs exemptions for factory inputs getting reduced to one working day. In the consumer sector, efficiency improved with 18,400 special permits issued for discounts and promotions, a 26% increase from 2024, and processing times dropped to less than one working day.
“The average time to process price increase requests decreased from two days to one day in the fourth quarter, with an annual average of 25 days in 2025, a 63% reduction from 2024. Additionally, 229,000 inspections were conducted during the year, with violations recorded in 19% of establishments, mostly due to absence from registered locations,” QNA noted, while covering the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s performance review.
Concluding the meeting, Faisal Al-Thani emphasised the importance of maintaining an integrated institutional approach focused on enhancing efficiency, accelerating digital transformation, and improving service quality to boost national economic competitiveness and achieve the objectives of “Qatar National Vision 2030.”