Electronic Transferable Records: A Gap in Qatari Law That Urgently Needs Filling

Qatar has sought to encourage the development of international trade and investment through advancements in its law. In light of the growing importance of electronic operations, it has adopted the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s (UNCITRAL) model laws on electronic commerce and electronic signatures. However, they alone are insufficient to respond fully to the present-day needs of international trade. An area in which Qatari law is still wanting is the electronic transfer of records that originated on paper. This article assesses the extent to which current Qatari legislation relating to the assignment of rights, bills of lading, and commercial papers is suited to the transfer of such records by electronic means and identifies aspects on which it falls short. To fill this gap, Qatar should adopt the 2017 UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records and ensure that it is applied as widely as possible, internally, internationally, and in civil and commercial dealings.