Help for domestic abuse in Qatar

Domestic abuse is any violence, threats, control or cruelty by a husband, wife, parent, relative or anyone you live with. It can be physical, but also emotional, sexual or financial, such as taking your money, your phone or your passport. It is never your fault, and hurting or threatening someone is against the law in Qatar even inside a family. Help is free and open to residents of every nationality: the Aman Centre's 24-hour hotline 919 can advise you in many languages, and the police answer 999 at any time. This guide goes in the order most people need: get safe, get support, record what happened, then deal with the police, the courts, your children and your residence one step at a time. You do not have to do everything at once, and you can call 919 just to talk before you decide anything.

Before you start

• A phone you can use safely, with 999, 919 and your embassy's 24-hour number saved under a name that will not draw attention, or learned by heart
• Copies or photos of your passport, QID, residence details and your children's passports and birth certificates, kept somewhere the other person cannot reach (a trusted friend, a work locker, a secure email)
• Your marriage certificate and any custody or court papers, or copies of them
• A short written record of what has happened: dates, what was said or done, and any injuries
• Photos of injuries or damage, and messages or voice notes containing threats, kept in a place only you can open
• Some cash, a bank card in your own name if you have one, and any medicines you or the children need
• The name of one or two people you trust who can take you in or collect your children at short notice

Step by step

1. If you are in danger now, call 999

   If you or your children are being hurt, threatened with a weapon, or locked in, call 999 straight away. It is free, works 24 hours and connects you to the police and an ambulance. Say where you are, that you are in danger at home, and whether anyone is injured; if you cannot speak freely, stay on the line and answer yes or no. If you can, get to a safer place such as a neighbour's flat, a shop, a hospital or a police station. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use the 992 service.

   Read guide: Emergencies in Qatar: who to call and where to go →

2. Call Aman on 919 for advice and protection

   The Aman Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre is the national centre for women and children affected by violence and family breakdown, run under the Qatar Foundation for Social Work. Its hotline 919 is open 24 hours, works in Arabic, English and several other languages, and its services are free. You can call just to talk about what is happening, or to ask for social, psychological and legal advice, and for protection. Aman can arrange temporary accommodation for women and children who are not safe at home, and it works with the Public Prosecution, hospitals and schools. You can also call its office on 4409 0999 or visit its headquarters on Al Jazeera Al Arabia Street in Doha.

3. Get medical care and emotional support

   If you are hurt, go to a hospital emergency department or a health centre, even if the injury seems small. Tell the doctor how you were injured and ask for it to be written in your medical record, because a medical report can later support a police complaint or a court case. Hamad General Hospital has a police station inside it, so you can report from there if you choose. If there was sexual violence, staff are required by law to inform the police, and a forensic examination should be done quickly, ideally before washing or changing clothes. Abuse also affects your mind; the National Mental Health Helpline on 16000 (option 4) and the PHCC support clinics are free starting points.

   Read guide: Finding mental health support in Qatar →

4. Make a simple safety plan

   A safety plan is just thinking ahead about what you would do if things get worse. Decide where you would go, who you would call, and how you would get there with the children, and agree a code word with a trusted friend that means 'call the police for me'. Keep a small bag with copies of documents, medicines, a phone charger and some cash with that friend or somewhere hidden. Teach older children how to call 999 and to stay out of the room during an argument. If the other person checks your phone, use a friend's phone or a work phone to contact help.

5. Keep a record and protect your evidence

   Write down each incident with the date, time, what happened and who saw it, and keep it away from home. Photograph injuries and broken things, and save threatening messages, emails and voice notes; send copies to a trusted person or an account only you can open. Keep medical reports, police reference numbers and any letters from Aman together. Courts in Qatar need evidence of harm, and abuse is often hard to prove, so even small details help. Do not put yourself at risk to collect evidence: your safety comes first.

6. Report to the police if you choose

   You can report abuse by calling 999 or by going to any police station, including the one inside Hamad General Hospital. Your statement will be written in Arabic and you will be asked to sign it; interpreters should be provided free, but bring someone you trust who speaks Arabic if you can, and ask to have the statement read back to you before signing. Always ask for the case reference number. During an investigation, the police may keep passports and a travel ban may be placed on the people involved, so tell your lawyer or embassy if you need to travel. Your embassy can send someone to accompany you, but it cannot interfere in the investigation.

7. Understand what the Public Prosecution does

   After a police report, the case goes to the Public Prosecution, which questions the people involved and decides whether to send the case to court. Family cases go to the prosecution's family section, and Aman has an office at the Public Prosecution so that women and children can get counselling, social and legal support during the case, with privacy protected. Many family cases are settled at this stage, but you do not have to agree to a settlement that leaves you unsafe; tell the prosecutor and Aman clearly if you are still afraid. Messages about your case usually come by SMS in Arabic, so ask someone to help you read them and keep a copy.

8. Protect your children

   Children are harmed by living with violence even when they are not hit themselves. If you are worried about a child, call 919 or the Sidra Medicine Child Advocacy Program helpline on 4003 4000 (leave your name and number if no one answers); for immediate danger, call 999. Sidra's programme provides medical and psychological assessments and works with social services, police and schools, discreetly. Tell your children's school counsellor so they can watch for problems and know who may collect the children. Do not take the children out of Qatar or hide their passports without legal advice, because this can count against you in a custody case.

9. Protect your residence if your spouse sponsors you

   Many wives in Qatar are on their husband's residence sponsorship, and fear of losing the visa keeps people in danger. Check your QID expiry date and your sponsor's name in Metrash or on your card so you know where you stand. If your permit is cancelled, the Ministry of Interior currently gives about 14 days to leave or move to another sponsor, so act quickly: tell Aman, a lawyer or the Family Court at once. Ways to stay include moving to your own employer, to your father or another eligible relative, or taking a job and switching to a work visa. During a family case a wife can ask the court for a fast temporary order on residence, and a divorced mother who has custody of the children can ask the court to order her former husband to transfer her sponsorship.

   Read guide: Transferring a family member's sponsorship in Qatar →

10. Know your options at the Family Court

    You do not have to divorce to get help, but it helps to know the options. Under Qatar's Family Law a wife can ask the court for separation because of harm, including physical, mental or emotional abuse or neglect of her or the children, and she must bring evidence. While a case runs, either spouse can ask for a petition order, a quick temporary decision on urgent matters such as custody, residence and money; you can file it without a lawyer, and decisions usually come in 10 to 15 days. The court tries reconciliation first and may refer couples to the Wifaq Family Consulting Centre, so tell the judge clearly about the violence if mediation would not be safe for you.

    Read guide: Divorce in Qatar for expats: courts, custody and residence →

11. Get legal advice and contact your embassy

    A Qatar-licensed lawyer can explain your rights on the police case, custody, money and residence, which all affect each other. Aman offers free legal advice, and the legal help guide explains how to find a lawyer and free legal help. Your embassy's consular or welfare section can give you a list of local lawyers, help with lost or held passports, accompany you to the police or court, and help you return home if you want to; some embassies also have shelters or can arrange a safe place to stay. The National Human Rights Committee (4404 8844) also accepts complaints if you feel your case is not being handled properly.

    Read guide: Finding a lawyer and legal help in Qatar →

12. If you are a domestic worker

    If your employer or anyone in the household hits you, abuses you, locks you in or takes away your food or phone, call 999 if you are in danger, and female workers can also call Aman on 919. Report the abuse to the Ministry of Labour on 16008 and to your embassy as soon as you can, so your side is recorded and your employer cannot simply report you as having run away. Victims of forced labour or trafficking can be referred to the Humanitarian Care House in Abu Hamour, a shelter run by the Ministry of Labour and Qatar Red Crescent with food, health care, legal and psychological help; you reach it through the Ministry of Labour, the anti-trafficking committee or your embassy, not by walking in. Your full rights at work are in the domestic worker rights guide.

    Read guide: Domestic workers in Qatar: your rights and where to get help →

What it costs

Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the violence to get worse before asking for help. You can call 919 at the first sign of threats or control, just to talk.
• Leaving without copies of your passport, QID and the children's documents, which makes every later step harder.
• Signing a police statement in Arabic without having it read back to you in a language you understand.
• Letting your residence permit lapse or be cancelled without acting within days, when a new sponsor or a court order could have kept you in Qatar.
• Taking the children abroad or hiding their passports without legal advice, which can harm your custody case.
• Agreeing to a settlement or mediation that leaves you unsafe because you feel pressured. Say clearly that you are afraid.
• Domestic workers leaving the house without telling the Ministry of Labour, the police or the embassy, which can lead to an absconding report.

Questions people ask

Official sources

• The Peninsula: Aman's 919 hotline, its services and languages ↗
• Gulf Times (April 2026): Qatari laws on family protection, Aman's 24-hour hotline and Wifaq ↗
• UK government: Family law in Qatar (separation for harm, temporary orders, residence) ↗
• UK government: Guidance for victims of sexual assault in Qatar (police, HMC, prosecution) ↗
• Sidra Medicine: Child Advocacy Program (S-CAP) ↗
• The Peninsula: Humanitarian Care House shelter (Ministry of Labour and Qatar Red Crescent) ↗

Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.

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