Qatar Issues New Regulations on Nursery Staff, Working Conditions, and Licensing Fees

Qatar nursery licensing fee

To enhance the efficiency, development, and service quality of nurseries, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has issued several ministerial decisions affecting all nurseries nationwide.

The new regulations encompass the classification of nurseries, the qualifications and experience required for nursery staff, the conditions and controls for nursery premises, and the fees for obtaining and renewing nursery licenses.

Omar Al-Naama, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs at the Ministry, stated: "These new decisions align with the Ministry's strategic goals to enhance early childhood education and improve services for children at this crucial stage by ensuring nursery quality, creating an optimal environment for educational, psychological, and social preparation, and raising family awareness about the significance of early education."

The decisions classify nurseries into three main types: day care nurseries, which cater to working parents' childcare needs; care and education nurseries, which offer day care and basic skills education such as language, reading, writing, and arithmetic; and specialized nurseries, which provide care and education for children with disabilities and learning difficulties using modern programs and methodologies.

Additionally, the Ministry has defined the required qualifications and experience for nursery staff to ensure specialized and competent personnel in educational fields, thereby improving care quality and learning outcomes.

The decisions also set the standards for nursery premises to ensure a safe and healthy environment for children, including adherence to all safety procedures and standards to enhance children's well-being and development.

The licensing fees for establishing and renewing nurseries are set at 1,000 Qatari Riyals.

Nurseries are given a six-month period to comply with the new regulations.

These decisions aim to increase the capacity of nurseries, kindergartens, and daycare centers through private sector collaboration, and to enhance care and learning outcomes in line with the country’s third national development strategy.