Qatar’s Municipality and Environment Minister has issued a Ministerial Decision clarifying the employee accommodation limits. Under Qatar Ministerial Decision No. 105/2020, only five employees can be housed in a unit in a family residential area. If there are more than five employees the Ministerial Decision will have been violated and violators will be fined between 50,000 and 100,000 Riyals and/or jailed for up to six months. The accommodation will also have to be evacuated and electricity and water services will be disconnected. The Ministerial Decision defines family residential areas. It also defines a worker’s camp in those areas. It says drivers, domestic workers and all female workers will be exempt. It has been issued to implement Qatar Law No. 15/2010 on banning worker’s camps in family residential areas (as amended by Qatar Law No. 22/2019). A warning will be sent to violators first regardless of whether they are tenants or property owners. A report of the violation will also be issued and the violating building will then be ordered to be evacuated. Under the Decision, the Municipality and Environment Minister or their representative will be able to settle with the violator providing they pay half the maximum fine and leave the violating building. Histoire complète
