Doha: The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers affirmed that the issuance of Amiri Decision No. 38 of 2026, which regulates the drafting of legislation, marks a qualitative leap in the development of government legislative processes in the State of Qatar.
It embodies the General Secretariat's strategic objective of achieving legislative excellence and leadership in supporting the quality and monitoring of government decision-making.
The decision establishes an integrated institutional framework that governs planning and coordination among government entities, enhances the quality and efficiency of legislative drafting, and aligns it with national priorities and policies, thereby contributing to the realization of the goals set forth in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy (2024-2030).
This decision replaces Amiri Decision No. 33 of 2000 concerning the procedures for drafting legislation, a framework that governed this process for over 25 years. It adopts a more comprehensive methodology that encompasses the entire legislative cycle: from planning and identifying the need for legislation, through drafting, study, ex-ante impact assessment, and public consultation, to final adoption, promulgation, implementation monitoring, and ex-post impact evaluation.
The provisions of this decision shall take effect as of Jan. 1, 2027. Its implementation shall be further supported by a "manual for legislative drafting procedures, to be issued by the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, following approval by the Council of Ministers, which will detail the methodologies, guidelines, and templates necessary for executing these provisions.
In this regard, Assistant Secretary-General for Legislative Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, Abdulaziz Mubarak Al Buainain told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Amiri Decision draws upon a wealth of accumulated institutional legislative experience, building on this foundation while updating its mechanisms to align with the requirements of the coming phase.
He indicated that the new system introduces specialized tools, particularly the annual legislative plan, the integrated government legislative plan approved by the Council of Ministers, the legislative dossier, the legislative rapporteur, and legislative impact assessment (conducted at three stages: before enactment and after implementation). Other key components include public consultation, an expedited legislative track, and an annual report on the state of legislation in the country.
Furthermore, the system leverages digital platforms for drafting legislation, exchanging feedback, and managing documentation. These tools foster proactive planning, standardize procedures, embed transparency, and support decision-making in line with institutional best practices, all of which directly enhance the quality of legislation.
He emphasized that the quality of legislation is measured not only by the soundness of its legal drafting, but also by its ability to achieve its objectives, the ease of its implementation, and the extent to which its impact can be continuously measured.
He noted that the new system defines roles and responsibilities at each stage of drafting government legislative instruments, leading to clearer and higher-quality legislation, strengthening overall confidence in the legislative environment, and supporting sustainable development.
For his part, Director of the Legislation Department at the Council of Ministers Secretariat General, Majed Hassan Al Ghanem told QNA that the Amiri Decision establishes a unified, practical framework for the preparation of government legislative instruments.
It defines the mechanisms for coordination among government entities and sets timelines for their responses to draft legislation circulated to them, all of which serves to enhance the efficiency of procedures and improve the quality of the outcomes intended by government legislation.
He added that the legislative file and the legislative rapporteur system allow for each project to be managed along a clear, documented path from its very early stages. This approach consolidates all related studies, correspondence, and stakeholder feedback into a single repository, ensuring continuity of work, the integrity of information, and effective coordination among the relevant entities throughout the project's development.
Head of the Technical Section at the Legislation Department in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers Rawda Abdulrahman Al Harqan said that the new system enhances the quality of technical work from the very early stages of drafting a legislative proposal. It does so by linking the analysis of legislative needs, the project's objectives, and its potential impacts to the various stages of study, review, and coordination with relevant entities.
She indicated that circulating draft projects to relevant entities, subjecting them to public consultation, and assessing their impact allows for the incorporation of expertise and perspectives from the concerned parties and target groups.
This process also helps identify, at an early stage, any aspects that might hinder the implementation of the legislation, enabling them to be addressed during the preparation and study phase, thereby enhancing the clarity, coherence, and implementability of the provisions.
This system serves as a fundamental pillar for developing the country's legislative environment and embedding the principles of governance and institutional integration, thereby supporting the creation of higher-quality and more effective legislation.
