Can I let someone else use my Qatar Commercial Registry registration to run their business?

No — this is explicitly prohibited under Qatar law and carries serious penalties. Article 8 of Law No. 25 of 2005 states clearly that no person registered in the Commercial Registry may allow a third party to use their trade registration, and equally, no third party may use a registration that does not belong to them or make any representation implying that it does. This prohibition applies in both directions: the registered person lending their CR, and the third party making use of it.

Violations of Article 8 fall under the more serious penalty tier in Article 16, which provides for imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to QAR 50,000, or both. These penalties are significantly higher than those for other registry offences, reflecting how seriously Qatar treats the misuse of commercial registrations — a practice sometimes called "fronting" or "CR lending."

This is a particularly important issue for expats, as some may be approached with informal arrangements to use a Qatari national's or another expat's CR to operate a business. Regardless of any private agreement between parties, such arrangements are illegal and both parties can face prosecution. If you want to operate a business in Qatar, you must obtain your own valid Commercial Registry entry following the proper channels outlined in Articles 3 and 4 of the law.