Starting tomorrow, invoices will begin to be issued in Arabic language
Starting April 1, merchants, service providers and suppliers in Qatar will have to use Arabic as the main language for issuing invoices. Any failure to comply with the rule will invite legal action, according to reports in the local media.
It has also been made mandatory to provide information about products in Arabic, reported Qatar Tribune.
The newspaper reported that the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) will carry out inspections to monitor compliance with its circular to this effect.
The move came about after the ministry noticed an increase in the use of foreign languages in providing information on products and services, invoices, and customer support.
This practice, the ministry felt, led to lack of transparency and difficulty in accessing information on various goods and services.
It has also been mandatory for beauty salons, hotels, maintenance centres, travel and tourism agencies, suppliers, and service providers to dedicate at least one Arabic-speaking employee at reception desks.
According to the MEC circular, the information provided on the label of a product, the description of the characteristics, and the advertisements must be in Arabic with the option of providing the information in another language.
At least one Arabic-speaking employee must be dedicated to display properties or services to customers. The invoices must be issued in Arabic to document transactions or agreements with consumers regarding products or services.
The guarantee statements must also be issued in Arabic while the option of using an additional language remains open.
In an earlier report in October last year, Qatar Tribune had reported that the MEC had given service providers a deadline of March 31, 2017, to complete necessary preparations for the change.
Arabian Business, in a story dated May 15, 2016, had reported that a similar move was being done in Dubai as well. It said that businesses in Dubai had been instructed to use Arabic as the main language for receipts, menus and invoices by 2017.
With the move, the department had been seeking to preserve the Arabic language as Dubai becomes an increasingly multinational destination.
