Manpower & Recruitment

Selling into Manpower & Recruitment in Qatar

Most of Qatar's workforce is recruited from abroad, so manpower agencies sit at the start of almost every project, from construction and facilities management to hospitality and retail. The sector is regulated: agencies need a Ministry of Labour licence, salaries are paid through the Wage Protection System, and workers may not be charged recruitment fees. Agencies differ less in who they can find than in what they handle once a candidate is found: visas, medicals, residency and replacements.

Who holds the budget

• Contractors and subcontractors staffing construction and infrastructure projects
• Facilities management and cleaning companies with large site teams
• Hotels, restaurants and retail groups hiring front of house and support staff
• Industrial and energy service companies needing technical and skilled trades

What works when approaching them

• Ask what the agency handles end to end: sourcing only, or visas, medicals and residency as well. That decides how much of the process stays on your desk.
• Agree the replacement terms before the first hire: what happens if a worker leaves or does not arrive, and within what period.
• Brief on the role and its trade test, not just the job title. A skilled trade described loosely produces candidates who fail the test on arrival.

Before you commit

• Confirm the agency's Ministry of Labour licence is current
• Check that no recruitment fees are charged to the workers themselves
• Ask which countries the agency recruits from directly, and which through partners

This is general commercial guidance for companies approaching the sector in Qatar, not legal or regulatory advice. Requirements differ by activity and by buyer, so verify specifics against current rules and the counterparty’s own position.