Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(13) Of 1997
Civil Defense
We, Hamad Bin Khalifa Al‐Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar,
Having considered the temporary and amended Basic Law, particularly Articles (23), (34), and (51),
Law No. (5) of 1970 in relation to defining the powers of the ministers, identifying the competence of
ministries and other governmental bodies, and the amended laws thereinafter,
Law No. (13) of 1988 on the temporary expropriation of real estates and their seizure for the public
benefit, amended by Law No. (23) of 1995,
Law No. (23) of 1993 on the police force and the amended laws thereinafter,
The proposal issued by the Minister of the Interior,
The draft law submitted by the Council of Ministers,
And after consulting the Advisory Council,
We decided the following law:
Section 1 – Definitions
Article (1)
In applying the provisions of this Law, the following expressions have the describing meanings assigned
thereunto, unless the context indicates otherwise:
1. Civil Defense: A set of measures, procedures and actions aim at protecting the population and the
public and private properties against the danger of fire, disasters, wars and various incidents; relieving
the ill‐fated and providing safe transport and communications; assuring the regular functioning of
activities in public utilities and the protection of wealth and this in period of peace, war and
emergencies, along with security guaranty in these circumstances.
2. Public Disaster: It is every incidence of fire, destruction, flood, storm, earthquake, or any other
incident that may cause damage or threat to the lives of the individuals or to the public or private
properties, and against which the ordinary bodies are incapable to encounter, control or reduce its
losses.
3. Public Facility: It is every project the government founds or supervises its management and operates
regularly and continuously, and which seeks assistance from management’s authorities to provide the
public with the necessary common needs attempting to contribute in maintaining the public order and
serving the public interests in the State.
4. Vital Institutions: They are the institutions of political, economic or social importance whether they
belong to the State or the Private Sector, and they are determined by a resolution issued by the Minister
of the Interior.
Section 2 – Civil Defense Measures
Article (2)
The measures of Civil Defense include all methods that may achieve its objectives, and in particular the
following:
1. Bringing about the necessary plans and studies to develop the missions and actions of the Civil
Defense which go along with the industrial and building renaissance.
2. Taking appropriate actions to encounter the incidents and disasters, and working towards avoiding
their danger and reducing their occurrence.
3. Implementing and the follow‐up of plans and measures concerning fire and rescue operations, and
other measures of Civil Defense.
4. Taking preventive measures to protect the public, wealth, the public and private institutions during
peace and war period.
5. Coordinating with the ministries and relevant bodies to implement the measures of Civil Defense.
6. Immediate intervention, when incidents and disasters strike, to reduce their human and materialistic
losses by way of coordinating with other bodies.
7. Implementing the necessary training programs of the works of Civil Defense, and conducting national
experiments assuring the relevant efficiency of means and measures.
8. Assuring to follow the methods of industrial safety, in public facilities and industrial and commercial
institutions, and applying preventive measures against the dangers of fire and others.
9. Coordinating with the relevant bodies to assure the safety of transport and communications, and
securing the continuity of work in public facilities during the state of emergency.
10. Preparing and equipping the necessary emergency teams to encounter incidents and disasters, and
working to protecting the environment from pollution.
11. Bringing about advanced training plans, preparing the necessary equipment for their success,
training the staff of Civil Defense Department and other bodies, and preparing volunteers to carry out
the activities of Civil Defense.
12. Working on spreading cultural awareness among the population and informing them about
preventive methods against the dangers of fire and incidents and their avoidance, and employing the
means of media to achieve the objectives of Civil Defense.
13. Preparing and running operational rooms and centers of Civil Defense, establishing public caches and
its managements, preparing natural caches, and supervising private caches to protect the public during
war period and sheltering them when disasters strike.
14. Preparing and supervising the storage of necessary materials and equipments for the continuation of
life and work progress during war, emergencies and disasters circumstances.
15. Organizing the means of early warning, and taking preventive measures to protect the public against
the dangers of disasters and air raids.
16. Coordinating the work of lifting the rubble, the means of medical assistance, and detecting of
polluted hazardous substances, radiations and toxic gases with competent bodies in the cases of
accidents.
17. Preparing the public and private hospitals, medical centers and other suitable locations to receive
the casualties.
18. Preparing and implementing all other necessary actions aiming at achieving safety, avoiding disasters
and eliminating the impacts in the state of their occurrence.
Article (3)
All ministries, other governmental organizations, institutions and public bodies and other facilities for
which a resolution is issued by the Minister of the Interior shall form sub‐committees of volunteers in
these parties to carry out the activities of Civil Defense.
The Minister or the relevant head of sub‐committee shall issue a resolution in accordance with the
situations.
The Civil Defense Department in the Ministry of the Interior shall manage the affairs of Civil Defense by
coordinating with the referred sub‐committees.
Article (4)
Each body, referred to in the preceding article, shall appoint an official from among the relevant
members of the sub‐committee of Civil Defense who shall be concerned with security and safety issues,
and act as a connecting link between the sub‐committee and the Civil Defense Department.
Article (5)
The Minister of the Interior is entitled to carry out experiments and exercises that would raise the level
of training on Civil Defense issues, and the competence of equipment and machinery in coordination
with the participating relevant bodies.
Article (6)
The principles of Civil Defense shall be taught in all teaching stages, religious and military institutes, and
training institutes and its centers in accordance with the data brought forward by the Civil Defense
Department and in agreement with the relevant educational bodies.
Section 3 – Measures & Emergency Provisions
Article (7)
In case of a public disaster or when the conditions of a disaster become available, and in case of an
invasion or a threat of an invasion, the Minister of the Interior, having gained the approval of the Prime
Minister, shall declare the state of emergency, as well as its end when its requirements are over.
Article (8)
When declaring a state of emergency the following provisions shall apply:
1. Staff employed in the field of Civil Defense, other than the police force, are subject to the rules of
discipline and penalties set against the staff of police force in accordance with the referred to Provisions
of Law No. (23) of 1993.
2. Staff employed in public facilities, vital institutions and sectors of medical services and food are
prohibited to leave their work place without the approval of the Civil Defense officer in the facility or
institution. The said prohibition shall also apply against any other group of staff whom the Civil Defense
Department deems appropriate that they should stay in to secure the continuity of normal life.
3. The Minister of the Interior is entitled to issue resolutions of temporary expropriation against real
estates, which emergency conditions require their seizure in exchange for fair compensation, and in this
connection the referred‐to Provisions of Law No. (13) of 1988 shall apply. The Minister is also entitled to
issue resolutions to expropriate movable properties in exchange for fair compensation for the duration
of their usage and for what may affect them, as a result of usage, of wear and tear.
Article (9)
Anyone called to participate in the activities of the Civil Defense is deemed as assigned by his/her
original employment body which shall continue to pay his/her salary and all other allowances and merits
along his/her appointed time.
Article (10)
The assigned and volunteers to undertake activities of the Civil Defense, in case of injury or death while
executing the activities of the Civil Defense or due to such activities, shall be eligible to receive the
provisions applied upon the staff of Civil Defense Department or the provisions applied to their original
employment body, whichever is best.
Article (11)
Taking into consideration as required by other regulations, the Minister of the Interior may issue
resolutions required for the Civil Defense interests, and in particular:
1. Coordinating between the Ministry of the Interior and other ministries and governmental bodies to
implement the activities of Civil Defense.
2. Providing the Civil Defense with the necessary materials and tools to carry out its duties completely,
and this is within the funds allocated for such duties without being restricted by the procedures
provided in other laws and regulations.
3. Taking any action or measure, according to necessity, to protect security and provide maintenance of
facilities.
Article (12)
The Civil Defense Department shall establish groups of volunteers whom the said Department shall train
on the activities of Civil Defense, outside the official working hours, in order to participate in performing
some of the Civil Defense activities when a state of emergency is declared.
Article (13)
All governmental and private bodies, each according to its competence, are required to provide all what
the Civil Defense Department requires, of what the said bodies have, of data, statistics, devices,
equipment, machinery or services for the purposes of Civil Defense during disasters.
Article (14)
The officials of public utilities and vital institutions, landlords and owners of commercial and industrial
activities are required to implement the measures of Civil Defense, defined by Civil Defense
Department, from their own expenses and on the dates determined by the Department.
Article (15)
It is prohibited to import devices, equipment and materials pertinent to Civil Defense and trading
therein prior to consulting the Civil Defense Department to examine one of their samples and to assure
their conformity with the specifications and this is carried out by way of coordinating with other
competent governmental bodies.
A resolution, issued by the Minister of the Interior, defines the said devices, equipments and materials.
Article (16)
It is an obligation, when implementing the operations of Civil Defense, not to be subjected to the
inviolability of the premises and facilities as much as possible, and restricting the damage to the least.
Article (17)
Any individual, even if s/he is not a volunteer shall be liable for the assistance that s/he may be capable
of providing and which is necessary to the Civil Defense in the areas of need.
Article (18)
It is not permitted to remove a machine, a banner or a sign, belonging to the Civil Defense; changing its
position or form; or making it unsuitable for the purpose it is set for. Offenders are obliged for the costs
of returning the removed or the broken to its preceding state besides the punishments decreed.
Section 4 –Punishments & Final Provisions
Article (19)
Members of police force, employed within the Civil Defense Department, shall control the penalties and
issue records pertaining to the actions committed against the Provisions of this Law, and shall refer the
offenders to the competent authority.
Article (20)
Any offender, who breaches any of the Provisions of this Law or the issued resolutions, shall be punished
by imprisonment for a period no more than three (3) years and by a penalty of no more than 10000
Riyals, or by any of the said punishments.
Article (21)
Amended in accordance with Law No. (35) of 2005 – The Official Gazette No. (11) of 2005
Under a resolution issued by the Minister of the Interior or his delegate, it is possible to shut down
facilities which refuse to implement the measures of Civil Defense on the due date set by the Civil
Defense Department. The shut down shall be carried out administratively for a period no more than
three (3) months, while the said period is renewable for further similar periods in case the required
measures were not implemented.
The concerned is entitled to appeal the resolution before the Court of First Instance, within fifteen (15)
days of his resolution announcement date.
Article (21) before being amended:
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Interior may issue a resolution to shut down facilities which may refuse to implement
the measures of Civil Defense on the due date set by the Civil Defense Department. The shut down shall be carried out
administratively for a maximum period of three (3) months, while the said period is renewable for further similar periods in
case the required measures were not implemented.
And who against a closure order is issued, has the right to appeal before the Supreme Court of Criminals within fifteen (15) days
of his closure resolution announcement date. The decision made by the said Court, regarding the appeal, shall be considered as
final.
Article (22)
The Minister of the Interior shall issue the necessary resolutions to execute the Provisions of this Law.
Article (23)
All competent authorities, each within its competency, shall execute this Law that becomes in force
thirty (30) days from its publication in the official gazette.
Hamad Bin Khalifa Al‐Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar.
Issued from the Emiri Diwan on: 13/01/1418 Hegira
Corresponding to: 20/05/1997