Qatar's New Traffic Law Still Under Review: What the Shura Council Is Looking At and Why It Matter

Qatar is moving steadily toward a comprehensive overhaul of its road regulations, but residents and drivers will have to wait a little longer before the full picture becomes clear. The Shura Council's Internal and External Affairs Committee met on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to continue its examination of the proposed new traffic law — a draft that has been working its way through the legislative process since April of this year.

The committee session was chaired by HE Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim, Speaker of the Shura Council, and focused on reviewing responses from relevant government authorities to questions and observations that lawmakers had raised at earlier meetings. After considering those responses, the committee opted to continue its study at a future session before locking in its final recommendations.

In short: the draft law is not finalized yet — but the process is actively moving forward.

How We Got Here: The Legislative Timeline

The story of this traffic law begins on April 13, 2026, when the Shura Council held a full session at the Tamim bin Hamad Hall and voted to refer the draft traffic law — submitted by the government — to the Internal and External Affairs Committee for detailed study. That same session saw the Council pass an amended drone law and address several other legislative items, but it was the traffic law referral that drew the most public attention.

Since that initial referral, the committee has been engaged in what is a fairly standard but important part of Qatar's legislative process: gathering written responses from relevant ministries and authorities, questioning officials, and stress-testing the draft's provisions before putting recommendations back to the full Council. Wednesday's session was one step in that back-and-forth.

The committee did not announce a date for its next meeting on the subject, but confirmed the review will continue.

Why This Draft Law Matters

Qatar currently operates under Traffic Law No. 19 of 2007, a framework that is now nearly two decades old. The country's roads, vehicle population, and enforcement technology have changed dramatically since then. Doha has expanded enormously, road networks have grown, and enforcement tools — from smart radars to the Metrash2 digital app — have become far more sophisticated than anything contemplated in the 2007 legislation.

The new draft is understood to be a full replacement law rather than a simple amendment — a comprehensive rewrite designed to reflect modern road realities. While the Shura Council has not published the full text of the draft, the legislative process confirms it was referred directly from the government (rather than originating from the Council itself), suggesting the executive branch has been preparing this for some time.

For the roughly 2.8 million people living in Qatar — most of them residents who depend on daily road travel — any changes to the traffic law have immediate, practical consequences. This is not abstract legislation. It affects fines, license suspensions, enforcement procedures, and ultimately road safety outcomes across the country.

What the Current Law Looks Like — and Where Change May Come

To understand why a new law is being debated, it helps to know what the existing framework involves.

Under the current system, drivers accumulate black points for violations alongside financial fines. Reaching 14 black points in a set period triggers an automatic three-month license suspension. Subsequent thresholds escalate: 12 points on a second occasion means a six-month ban, 10 points leads to nine months, and repeat serious offenders eventually face license cancellation altogether.

Financially, penalties range widely. Running a red light carries a fine of QAR 6,000 and adds seven black points — one of the steepest single-violation penalties on the books. Speeding fines run from QAR 500 to QAR 10,000 depending on severity. Using a mobile phone while driving or failing to wear a seatbelt each attract QAR 500 fines, with potential black points attached.

Speed limits are set at 60–80 km/h within city limits, 100 km/h on main highways, and up to 120 km/h on certain expressways. These are enforced through a widespread network of fixed and mobile radar cameras, and since early 2026, Qatar has upgraded to smart radar systems capable of detecting multiple violations simultaneously — including phone use and seatbelt non-compliance — in a single detection event, alongside speed offenses.

One area of enforcement that saw specific crackdown action in early 2026 was vehicle exhaust modifications. A decree targeting disturbing vehicles introduced immediate seizure for cars with modified exhausts exceeding legal decibel limits, with impoundment periods of up to 90 days and release fees on top of standard fines.

Whether and how the new draft law adjusts these thresholds, adds new offense categories, or restructures the black points framework is exactly what the Shura Council committee is examining.

The Shura Council's Role in This Process

Qatar's Shura Council functions as the country's legislative body. For a draft law submitted by the government to become law, it passes through committee study, returns to the full Council for debate and approval, and then proceeds for ratification. The Internal and External Affairs Committee — the one handling this draft — covers a broad legislative scope, and its review of the traffic law involves consulting with the Ministry of Interior's Traffic Department and other relevant authorities directly responsible for road enforcement.

The multi-session review process Qatar follows is deliberate. It prevents hasty legislation on matters that affect everyday life. The committee's decision to seek responses from authorities before finalizing its report — and then to revisit those responses at another meeting — reflects that measured approach.
 

What Comes Next

Once the Internal and External Affairs Committee completes its review and issues its report, the draft law returns to the full Shura Council for debate, potential amendments, and a final vote. If approved, it proceeds through the ratification process.

There is no publicly announced deadline for the committee to conclude its work. Given that the review began in mid-April and is still active as of early June, the final law could still be months away from adoption.

For residents and drivers, this is a moment to pay attention — not because anything changes today, but because what emerges from the Shura Council's deliberations will govern Qatar's roads for years to come. The existing 2007 law has shaped driving behavior and enforcement practices across nearly two decades. Its successor is being written right now.