Qatar

Shura Council

Political system
Monarchy
Structure of parliament
Unicameral
IPU membership
Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s)
02 Oct 2021
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature
30 Jun 2021
Timing of election
No information available
Expected date of next elections
30 Sep 2025
Number of seats at stake
30
Scope of elections
Full renewal

Candidates

Number of parties contesting the election
Not applicable
Not applicable. There is no party system or candidates stood as independents.
Yes
Total number of candidates
233
Number of male candidates
207
Number of female candidates
26
Percentage of women candidates
11.2%

Results

About the election

A total of 233 candidates, including 26 women, ran in the first ever elections to the 45-member Shura Council (see note). All candidates stood as independents in the country’s 30 single-member constituencies. Turnout was 63.5% according to the Ministry of Interior, which did not publish detailed figures. No women were elected, while two women were appointed by the Emir. On 26 October, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani convened the newly elected Shura Council. It elected Mr. Hassan Abdullah Al Ghanim as its new Speaker and Ms. Hamda bint Hassan al-Sulaiti as one of the Deputy Speakers. The new Shura Council serves a four-year term (previously three).

Qatar has played a major role in mediating between the US and the Taliban in recent years. The 2021 elections followed the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August. During the inaugural session of the new Shura Council, the Emir reiterated Qatar’s “adherence to dialogue as an alternative to wars”. He also commended health institutions, saying that they had “successfully passed the difficult test posed by the coronavirus”.

Note:

The 2003 Constitution provides for a 45-member Shura Council, comprising 30 elected members and 15 appointed members. In November 2011, the then Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced parliamentary elections would be held in the second half of 2013. However, they were postponed indefinitely shortly before the then Emir handed power to his son, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim (the current Emir). Members of the Shura Council continued to be appointed by Emiri decree: 35 male members were appointed in 2013 and 2016. In 2017, the number of members increased to 41, including 4 women.

On 9 August 2021, the Emir issued three laws related to parliamentary elections, paving the way for the first ever polls: Laws No. 6 of 2021 (on the issuance of the Shura Council’s electoral system law), No. 7 of 2021 (on the Shura Council), and No. 37 of 2021 (on the electoral districts of the Shura Council and their respective regions). Qatari citizens over 18 years old were allowed to vote, and native Qataris over 30 years of age were allowed to stand for election.

Percentage of parties winning seats
Not applicable
Alternation of power after elections
Not applicable
Number of parties in government
Not applicable
Members elected, by sex
Number of men elected
30
Number of women elected
0
Percentage of women elected
0.0%
Women Directly Elected
0
Women Appointed
2
Other notes on the elections

Note on the timing of election:

First ever elections. Elections to the Shura Council (formerly known as the Advisory Council) had previously been announced for 2013 but were postponed indefinitely.

In 2016, the term of the then 35-member Shura Council was extended by three years to June 2019. An Emiri Decree of November 2017 appointed a new 41-member Shura Council, which sat until the 2021 elections.

Note on the expected date of next elections:

The new Shura Council will serve a four-year term (previously three). The next elections are therefore expected in 2025.

Sources

New legislature

Total number of men after the election
43
Total number of women after the election
2
Percentage of women after the election
4.4%
First-term parliamentarians
No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians
No information available
Date of the first session
26 Oct 2021

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature
Hassan Abdullah Al Ghanim (Male)
Date of election
26 Oct 2021

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Year IPU membership
2020-09
List of values for 2020-09
No
2019-04
List of values for 2019-04
No
2018-06
List of values for 2018-06
No