Qatari Court of Cassation: A Dispute Relating To An Unregistered Commercial Agency Agreement Shall Not Be Heard By The Qatari Courts

Analysis

The Principle: The Qatari Commercial Agency Law (Law 8 of 2002) (the “Agency Law”) has been enacted to organise the engagement in a Commercial Agency business in Qatar. The main condition for the application of the provisions of the Agency Law to a business relationship between a Qatari agent and a foreign counterparty is the registration of the commercial agency agreement in the special commercial agents register of the Ministry of Business and Trade.

If a commercial agent is registered as such in the commercial agents' registry of the Ministry of Business and Trade, then the agent, its principal and the relevant agency agreement would be subject to the provisions of the Agency Law which provides, in particular, for compensation of the local agent in case of termination of the agency agreement.