Arab Decision

Law No. (13) of 2004
Pertaining to Establishing the Qatari Authority of Charitable Work
We, Hamad Bin Khlifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, Having considered the Basic Provisional Amended Law, particularly articles (23), (34) and (51) thereof, law no. (5) of 1989 pertaining to the public budget of the State, law no. (7) of 1999 pertaining to regulating the Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Housing and defining its competencies, law no. (1) of civil service issued in 2001, law no. (12) of 2004 pertaining to regulating associations and private institutions, the proposal of the Minister of Civil Service Affairs and Housing, the draft law presented by the Ministerial Council, and after consulting the Advisory Council, promulgated the following law:

Chapter One: Definitions
Article (1)
In the implementation of the provisions of this law, the following words shall have the meanings next to each one unless indicated otherwise by the context:

The Minister: Minister of Civil Service Affairs and Housing.
The Authority: Qatari Authority of Charitable Work.
The Council: Managing Council of the Authority.
The Director: General Director of the Authority.

Chapter Two: Establishing the Authority, its Objectives and Competences
Article (2)
A general authority called "The General Authority of Charitable Work" shall be established with a nominal personality and a budget annexed to the public budget of the State.

Article (3)
The Authority shall report to the Minister of Civil Service and Housing and its headquarters shall be located in Doha.

Article (4)
The Authority aims at developing, supporting, encouraging, supervising and monitoring charitable work within the framework of the public policy of the State. For this purpose, it shall have the following authorities:

Carrying out charitable and humanitarian activities entrusted to it by the State locally and abroad.
Supervising and monitoring the charitable and humanitarian activities carried out by private associations and institutions.
Supervising and monitoring the licensed activities of collecting donations carried out by private associations, institutions, individuals, and other parties that have charitable and humanitarian purposes and which are defined by virtue of a ministerial resolution.
Supervising and monitoring the transference of moneys by private associations and institutions as well as individuals for charitable and humanitarian purposes for the benefit of any person or association or institution or body or club outside the State of Qatar in coordination with the competent parties.
Coordinating and unifying efforts among the parties working in the field of charitable and humanitarian work.
Supervising the expenditure of the moneys donated by the Emir for charitable and humanitarian purposes abroad.
Chapter Three: The Management of the Authority
Article (5)
The Authority shall be managed by a Managing Council consisting of a chairman, a deputy chairman, and a number of members not fewer than three and not more than five. A resolution shall be issued by the prime minister pertaining to their appointment and defining their remuneration. The council shall select a secretary, define his competences and remuneration.

Article (6)
The term of the council shall be four years renewable for a similar period or periods.

Article (7)
The council shall have the following competences and authorities necessary for managing the affairs of the Authority and achieve its goals:

Laying down the general policy of the Authority and supervising its implementation.
Endorsing the plans and programs of the Authority and following up their implementation.
Endorsing the structural organization of the Authority.
Issuing the administrative and financial bills of the Authority.
Endorsing the annual budget of the Authority and its final accounts
Issuing licenses for collecting donations to private associations and institutions that have charitable and humanitarian purposes as well as the individuals and the other parties defined by virtue of a ministerial resolution.
Issuing permits to private associations and institutions to undertake the following actions in compliance with provisions of this law:
Affiliating to or participating in or joining any association or institution or body or club of which headquarters is located outside the country.
Giving or accepting any loans or grants or donations or bequests or endowments or any other assets to or from any individual or association or institution or body or club of which headquarters is located outside the country.
Issuing a permit to the private associations and institutions that have charitable and humanitarian purposes registered outside the country to open bank accounts for them in Qatar and following them up.
Looking into the periodical and the follow-up reports pertaining to the course of work of the Authority.
The council′s resolutions stipulated in the articles (4, 5, 7/a, and 8) shall not be effective until after they are ratified by the Ministerial Council.
Article (8)
The chairman of the council shall represent the Authority in court and in its relations with other parties.

Article (9)

The council shall convene upon an invitation by its chairman at least once every three months and whenever demanded by at least three of its members. The meeting shall not be deemed correct except by the attendance of the majority of its members provided that one of the attendants is the chairman or his deputy. The resolutions of the council shall be issued by the majority votes of the attendants, and in case the votes are equal, the side for which the chairman votes shall win. The deputy chairman shall take over the chair in the absence of the chairman and in case the post of the chairman is vacant.

Article (10)
The meetings of the council shall be secret, its minutes and resolutions shall be written down in a special register of which pages are numbered serially, and it shall be signed by the chairman and the secretary.

Article (11)
The council has the right to invite anyone of the employees in the Authority or other persons of expertise with view to seeking their opinions to attend the mettings. The invitees shall have the right to participate in the discussion without having the right to vote.

Article (12)
The chairman of the council has the right to sign on behalf of the Authority. The Council has the right to authorize the director or another employee in the Authority to sign on its behalf separately or jointly regarding the matters it specifies.

Article (13)
The seal of the Authority shall not be recognized unless accompanied by the signature of the chairman or the person authorized to sign.

Article (14)
It is not allowed for the chairman of the council, any of its members, or any employee in the Authority has any direct or indirect interest in the contracts concluded with the Authority or for its account.

Article (15)
The Authority shall have a general director appointed by virtue of a ministerial resolution. The general director shall undertake, under the supervision of the council and within the framework of the general policy of the Authority, all of the administrative and financial affairs of the Authority in accordance with the enacted bills and regulations and within the limits of the ratified budget. The director shall have the following competences in particular:

Proposing the Authority plans and programs
Proposing a draft organizational structure and the internal bills of the Authority.
Preparing the estimated annual budget project of the Authority and its final accounts.
Preparing an annual report about the accomplishments and work programs of the Authority and presenting them to the council at the end of each fiscal year.
Any other works entrusted to it by the council in accordance with provisions of this law.
Chapter Four: The Financial System of the Authority
Article (16)
The financial revenues of the Authority consist of the moneys and financial credits allocated to it by the State.

Article (17)
The Authority shall have an annual estimated budget prepared in accordance with the rules defined in the internal bills of the Authority and its own account in which it deposits its funds. The fiscal year of the Authority starts simultaneously with the fiscal year of the State and ends with its end; provided that the first fiscal year of the Authority starts on the date of enforcing this law and ends at the end of March of the following year.

Chapter Five: Penalties
Article (18)
Anyone who collects donations, or transfers money outside the country, bestows or accepts loans or grants or donations or bequests or endowments in contravention with the provisions of this law shall be punished by imprisonment for a period not exceeding a year and a fine not exceeding fifty thousand Qatari riyals. In all cases, it shall be ruled to confiscate the moneys, subject of the crime.

Chapter Six: General Provisions
Article (19)
The minister shall submit to the Ministerial Council a detailed report about the activities of the Authority, the course of work therein and its financial status within a period that does not exceed three months after the end of the fiscal year including his proposals and recommendations.

Article (20)
The Ministerial Council has the right to ask the minister to submit reports about the activities of the Authority and any information related to It also has the right to issue its general directions pertaining to what the Authority should do regarding any matter related to its activities.

Article (21)
The employees of the Authority, who are defined by virtue of a resolution by the public attorney in agreement with the minister, shall have the capacity of judicial officers in detecting and proving the violations of the provisions of this law and they shall have, for this purpose, the right to enter the headquarters of the charitable and humanitarian associations and institutions or any other party licensed to collect donations, inspect them and read their documents and records.

Article (22)
The aforementioned law of civil service shall apply to the employees of the Authority.

Article (23)
A ministerial resolution shall be issued defining the organizational structure of the Authority and its administrations and defining their competences on the basis of the proposal of the council and the presentation of the minister. It is possible, by virtue of a resolution by the Council, to set up sections in the administrations in the Authority and define their competences and amend them by abolishing or adding or amalgamating.

Article (24)
It is possible by virtue of an Emiri resolution, to exclude any party from the supervision and monitor of the Authority.

Article (25)
The minister shall issue, on the basis of a proposal by the council, the resolutions necessary to implement this law.

Article (26)
Each provision that breaches the provisions of this law shall be repealed.

Article (27)
All the competent parties, each within its competency, shall implement this law and it shall be published in the official gazette.

Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar

Issued at the Emiri Diwan on 21/3/1425 A.H.
Corresponding to 10/5/2004