Gratuity after 10 years in Qatar
Short answer: after ten full years with one employer in Qatar, the legal minimum gratuity is 210 days of your last basic salary: 21 days for each of the 10 years.
The rate stays the same after 5 or 10 years
Article 54 of Labour Law No. 14 of 2004 sets a minimum of three weeks' basic wage for every year of service. The law does not increase that rate for long service, so year ten earns the same 21 days as year one. This surprises many people who have heard about the UAE, where the rate rises to 30 days a year after year five.
The formula
- Daily basic salary = monthly basic salary ÷ 30
- Gratuity = daily basic × 21 × years of service
For exactly ten years that is daily basic × 210, which is the same as seven months of basic salary.
Worked examples for 10 years
| Monthly basic (QAR) | Daily basic | Gratuity after 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| 6,000 | 200.00 | 42,000 QAR |
| 8,000 | 266.67 | 56,000 QAR |
| 10,000 | 333.33 | 70,000 QAR |
| 15,000 | 500.00 | 105,000 QAR |
| 20,000 | 666.67 | 140,000 QAR |
How Qatar compares after 10 years
| Country | Days of pay after 10 years | On a monthly 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar (minimum) | 210 days of basic | 70,000 |
| UAE | 255 days of basic | 85,000 |
| Saudi Arabia (employer ends it) | 225 days of actual wage | 75,000 |
Saudi figures use the actual wage, which usually includes housing, so the real difference depends on how your pay is split.
When you get more than the minimum
- Your contract or company policy. Many employers, especially larger companies and semi-government bodies, pay a full month of basic salary per year after five years of service. If your contract promises more than the law, the contract applies.
- A recent raise. The gratuity uses your basic salary on the day your service ends, so a promotion in your last year raises the amount for all ten years.
- A pension or savings scheme. Under Article 56, if your employer runs a pension or provident scheme that pays more than the gratuity, you may choose that instead of the gratuity.
Things that can reduce the figure
- Long periods of unpaid leave are usually left out of your service.
- Your employer can deduct money you owe it, such as an outstanding loan, after discussing it with you.
- Dismissal for serious misconduct under Article 61 can remove the gratuity entirely.