Qatar Records 60% Surge in New Foreign-Owned Companies in Q2 2026

Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has released its second-quarter 2026 performance indicators, and the headline figure is striking: 5,272 non-Qatari companies were established during the quarter, a 60 percent increase compared with the first quarter of the year. Overall business formation also continued to climb. The Ministry recorded 6,745 new commercial registrations in Q2, representing quarter-on-quarter growth of 6.6 percent. Officials attribute much of the momentum to streamlined procedures — the processing time for initial company approvals has been reduced to a single working day. The industrial sector showed similar strength. Cumulative investment in Qatar's industrial sector reached approximately QR248 billion (US$68.25 billion) by the end of the quarter. Eleven new factories commenced production during Q2, bringing the total number of factories that have come online since the start of 2026 to 28, with the new Q2 facilities alone representing combined investments of QR253 million. The surge follows a series of reforms aimed at opening the Qatari market to foreign capital, including 100 percent foreign ownership across most sectors, the new e-commerce licensing regime that allows businesses to operate through digital platforms without physical premises, and the long-term residence permits introduced earlier this year for executives and entrepreneurs. For foreign investors weighing market entry, the numbers point to a business environment that is actively courting international companies — and to a registration process that has never been faster. Future Gate's company formation team in Doha assists investors end-to-end, from choosing the right legal structure to commercial registration, licensing and immigration.