Guides / Daily life / Community, culture & volunteering
Donating blood in Qatar: who can give, where to go and what to expect
How to donate blood or platelets in Qatar: the Qatar National Blood Donation Center and mobile drives, the basic eligibility checks, opening hours, what happens on the day, how often you can give, and donating during Ramadan.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Time
- About 1 hour for whole blood, including registration
- Cost
- Free; donation is voluntary and unpaid
- Where
- Qatar National Blood Donation Center (HMC) and mobile drives
- How often
- Whole blood every 56 days; platelets more often
Every hospital in Qatar, government and private, gets its blood from one place: Qatar Blood Services, part of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), which relies entirely on unpaid volunteer donors. Qataris and residents of any nationality can donate if they are healthy, aged 18 to 65 and weigh at least 50 kg. You can walk into the Qatar National Blood Donation Center, or give at a mobile unit or a drive at your workplace, mall, school or community group. A whole-blood donation takes about an hour from registration to the post-donation snack, and you can give again after 56 days. This guide covers who can give, where and when to go, what happens on the day, platelet donation, and how to donate during Ramadan.
Before you start
- Your valid QID (Qatar ID) so the centre can register you
- Be aged 18 to 65 and weigh at least 50 kg
- A good night's sleep before you go
- A proper meal or snack in the 2 to 3 hours before donating, and plenty of water
- A list of any medicines you take and any recent illness, travel, tattoo, surgery or dental work, so you can answer the medical questions honestly
- A short-sleeved or loose top so the nurse can reach the inside of your elbow
- About an hour of free time (more for platelets), with no heavy exercise or hard physical work planned for the rest of the day
- The centre's phone numbers: 4439 1081 or 4439 1082
Step by step
Check the basic requirements
HMC's published criteria are simple: you must be healthy on the day, aged 18 to 65, and weigh at least 50 kg. At the centre they will also check that your haemoglobin is in range (13 to 18 g/dl for men, 12.5 to 16 g/dl for women), your temperature is below 37.5°C, your pulse is 50 to 100 and your blood pressure is between 100/60 and 180/100. You cannot know your haemoglobin at home, so don't let that stop you; the finger-prick test on the day tells you. Nationality does not matter: expats donate in large numbers and their blood is used across the country.
Know what can delay you
Some things mean you should wait before donating, even if you feel fine. Common reasons blood services ask people to wait include a recent cold, fever or infection, antibiotics, recent surgery or dental treatment, a new tattoo or piercing, pregnancy or recent childbirth, and recent travel to an area with malaria. HMC does not publish its full deferral list online, so the doctor or nurse at your assessment makes the final decision. If you are unsure, call 4439 1081 or 4439 1082 before you go rather than make a wasted trip.
Read guide: Bringing medicines into Qatar: controlled drugs and the MOPH e-permit →Choose where to donate
The main site is the Qatar National Blood Donation Center, run by HMC in the Hamad Medical City area near the Sports Roundabout (it is listed at West Energy Center on Mohammed bin Thani Street). It opened in 2024 with 38 donation beds, separate assessment rooms and donation areas for men and women, and 12 beds for platelet collection. HMC also runs mobile units and drives at malls, companies, schools, ministries and community groups, especially during Ramadan and when stocks run low. Use the map pin on HMC's Qatar Blood Services page to find the entrance and the donor parking.
Go during opening hours
HMC lists the donor center as open Sunday to Thursday from 7am to 9:30pm and on Saturday from 8am, and closed on Friday. Saturday closing time is given as 4pm on HMC's own page and 2pm in some other sources, so go in the morning on Saturdays or call to check. Hours change during Ramadan and public holidays (see the Ramadan step). There is no published online booking system for individual donors; people normally walk in, and you can phone the centre if you want to check how busy it is.
Read guide: Public holidays in Qatar: dates, private sector rules and pay →Register at reception
Show your QID at reception. Staff register you as a donor (or find your existing record if you have given before) and hand you a health questionnaire. Answer it honestly: the questions about travel, medicines, illness and lifestyle are there to protect the patient who will receive your blood, and the answers are confidential. Ask for the questionnaire in Arabic or English if you need it.
Have the medical check
A nurse or doctor takes you into a private assessment room, goes through your answers, and checks your weight, temperature, pulse and blood pressure. A small finger-prick sample measures your haemoglobin. If anything is out of range you will be told whether you can come back later, and when. Low haemoglobin is one of the most common reasons people are turned away, especially women, so eating iron-rich food in the weeks before helps.
Give blood
You lie or sit back on a donation chair, the arm is cleaned and a sterile, single-use needle is placed in a vein at the inside of your elbow. Collecting a unit of whole blood usually takes about 8 to 12 minutes; you may be asked to squeeze a ball gently. Tell the staff straight away if you feel dizzy, hot or sick, and they will stop and look after you. The whole visit, from registration to leaving, takes about one hour according to HMC.
Rest and look after yourself afterwards
Stay seated for a few minutes and have the drink and snack you are offered before you leave. For the rest of the day, drink plenty of fluids, keep the dressing on for a few hours, and avoid heavy lifting, intense exercise and long periods in the heat. In Qatar's summer this matters: do not go straight from the donor chair into outdoor work. If you feel faint, lie down with your legs raised; if bleeding or bruising worries you, call the centre.
Read guide: Surviving Qatar's summer: heat safety and staying cool →Consider donating platelets
Platelets help cancer, leukaemia, surgery and trauma patients, and they only last 7 days, so hospitals need a steady supply (whole blood lasts 42 days). Platelet donation uses an apheresis machine that takes only platelets and returns the rest of your blood to you, so it takes longer than a whole-blood donation. HMC's rules allow a platelet donor to give again after as little as 2 days, but the centre schedules regular donors according to need. Ask at the centre or call 4439 1081 or 4439 1082 if you want to become a platelet donor; extra checks apply.
Donate during Ramadan
HMC runs a blood donation campaign every Ramadan, because donations usually drop during the fasting month. Hours move to suit fasting donors: in Ramadan 2025 the donor center opened Sunday to Thursday 8am to 1pm and 6pm to midnight, and Saturday 6pm to midnight, and a mobile donation point at City Center Doha (near Carrefour) opened daily 8pm to midnight. Many people donate after iftar, when they have eaten and had fluids. Times are announced each year in HMC posts and local news, so check them before you go; for the religious ruling on donating while fasting, ask a scholar you trust.
Read guide: Ramadan in Qatar: what changes for residents →Organise a drive at work or in your community
Companies, schools, embassies, community associations and religious groups regularly host HMC blood drives. Qatar Blood Services sends staff (and sometimes a mobile unit) to your venue; contact them on 4439 1081 or 4439 1082 to agree a date, a space and an expected number of donors. Give people notice so they can eat and sleep well beforehand, and share the eligibility basics so fewer are turned away. Community drives such as those run by expatriate associations collect hundreds of units in a day.
Read guide: Volunteering in Qatar: the national platform, events, charities and the rules →Come back and answer urgent appeals
You can give whole blood again after 56 days (2 months), plasma after 28 days, and double red cell donations after 112 days. HMC regularly issues appeals when a group runs low, most often O negative, which can be given to patients of any group in an emergency. Follow HMC on social media (@HMC_Qatar on X, hmc_qatar on Instagram) to see appeals and drive locations. If you have a rare or negative blood group, becoming a regular donor makes a real difference.
What it costs
| Donating blood or platelets | Free (voluntary and unpaid) |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Going on an empty stomach or after a sleepless night, then feeling faint or being turned away
- Hiding a recent illness, tattoo, medicine or trip on the questionnaire; it puts the patient at risk
- Turning up on a Friday, when the donor center is closed, or late on Saturday
- Assuming normal hours apply in Ramadan or on Eid; check the announced timings
- Going back to outdoor work, the gym or a long drive in the heat straight after donating
- Trying to donate again before 56 days have passed since a whole-blood donation
- Giving up after one refusal for low haemoglobin instead of improving iron intake and trying again
Questions people ask
Can expats donate blood in Qatar?
Yes. HMC invites all healthy citizens and residents to donate, and expats make up a large share of donors. You need to meet the same criteria as everyone else: healthy, 18 to 65 years old and at least 50 kg, plus the checks on the day. Bring your QID.
Where is the blood donor center now?
The main site is the Qatar National Blood Donation Center, run by HMC in the Hamad Medical City area near the Sports Roundabout, listed at West Energy Center on Mohammed bin Thani Street. It replaced the older centres beside Hamad General Hospital and Bayt Al Dhiyafah. Use the map pin on HMC's Qatar Blood Services page, as older articles still give the old locations.
Do I need an appointment?
HMC does not publish an online booking system for individual donors; most people simply walk in during opening hours. If you want to check waiting times, or you plan to come with a group, call 4439 1081 or 4439 1082. Companies and groups organising a drive should contact the centre in advance.
How often can I donate?
According to HMC, you must wait 56 days (about 2 months) after a whole-blood donation, 28 days after plasma, and 112 days after a double red cell donation. Platelet donors can give again after as little as 2 days, but the centre decides the schedule for regular platelet donors.
Can I donate blood while fasting in Ramadan?
HMC extends its hours into the evening during Ramadan so that fasting donors can give after iftar, when they have eaten and are hydrated, and it sets up mobile points in malls. Donating while dehydrated makes fainting more likely, so evening donation is the practical choice. For the religious question of whether donating breaks the fast, ask a scholar you trust.
I was rejected because of low haemoglobin. Can I try again?
Yes. The minimum is 13 g/dl for men and 12.5 g/dl for women, and many people, especially women, fall just short. Eat iron-rich food (red meat, liver, lentils, beans, leafy greens) with vitamin C, and come back after a few weeks. If your level stays low, see your health centre doctor, as it may need treatment.
Can my company or community group hold a blood drive?
Yes. Qatar Blood Services runs drives with companies, ministries, schools, the army, religious and community organisations. Call 4439 1081 or 4439 1082 to arrange a date and venue; they will advise how many donors to expect and what space is needed.
Why does HMC keep asking for O negative?
O negative red cells can be given to patients of any blood group in an emergency, before their own group is known, so hospitals use a lot of it. Only a small share of people have it, so stocks run low quickly. If you are O negative, regular donation is especially valuable.
Official sources
- HMC: Qatar Blood Services (hours, criteria, contacts) ↗
- HMC: How often can I donate? ↗
- HMC: Criteria for blood donors ↗
- The Peninsula: Urgent need for O-negative blood (Ramadan 2025 hours) ↗
- Marhaba: HMC launches 12th annual Ramadan blood donation campaign ↗
- Marhaba: Organ and blood donation in Qatar ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.