Doha, October 21, 2026 : Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MOI), represented by the General Directorate of Civil Defense, has highlighted key revisions in the third edition of the Civil Defense Technical Requirements Guide during the second day of Milipol Qatar 2026.
The updates were presented by First Lieutenant Eng. Hessa Ahmed Al Jassim during a seminar on civil defense, national emergency preparedness and crisis management.
The revised guide introduces changes to technical requirements for sprinkler systems in industrial facilities and warehouses, as well as provisions governing single-staircase designs in residential buildings, hotels, labour accommodation and offices. The amendments aim to address practical challenges faced by consulting firms while ensuring compliance with fire prevention and safety standards.
According to Al Jassim, the updated provisions also cover staircases in residential buildings, offices, hotels, labour accommodation and military housing, alongside basement regulations. These changes offer greater flexibility in building design while retaining requirements for fire-resistant separation and protective doors.
For medium-risk warehouses and factories, automatic sprinkler systems are required in buildings with a total area exceeding 1,115 square metres. The total includes all spaces located beneath the same roof when assessing whether the requirement applies.
The guide also outlines conditions under which adjacent buildings may be considered separate structures. These include installing a fire-rated partition wall capable of withstanding fire for two hours, with no openings, while accounting for the materials used in construction and the independence of the roof structures.
Al Jassim added that modifications to buildings that have already received approval are assessed according to the nature of the proposed changes and their potential impact on fire prevention and safety requirements, in line with the technical specifications adopted by the General Directorate of Civil Defense.
Source: QNA
