QCB Artificial Intelligence Guideline

Jurisdiction:

Qatar

enforcing

Effective:

Sep 4, 2024

Authority:

Qatar Central Bank

Official text Verified Mar 28, 2026

Obligations Covered

Risk Assessment Transparency & Disclosure Human Oversight

AI Governance and Risk Management #

Obligation:

Risk Assessment

enforcing

Effective:

Sep 4, 2024

Risk tier:

all (heightened for high-risk AI)

Scope:

deployers, providers

high-impact

First binding AI-specific regulation in the GCC. All QCB-licensed financial entities must establish AI governance frameworks, risk management systems, and obtain QCB pre-approval before deploying any AI system. High-risk AI systems face additional scrutiny and may require sandbox testing.

Requirements

Requirement	Details
AI strategy	Firms must establish and periodically review an AI strategy aligned with business objectives
Governance function	Dedicated AI oversight function with clear accountability; board and senior management responsible for AI outcomes
Risk management	Identify, assess, and mitigate AI risks including bias, discrimination, privacy, security, and lack of transparency
High-risk categorization	Identify and categorize high-risk AI systems based on guideline criteria; apply stricter scrutiny
Pre-approval	QCB approval required before launching any new AI system
High-risk pre-approval	Prior QCB approval required for purchasing, licensing, or outsourcing high-risk AI systems
Sandbox testing	QCB may require sandbox testing before granting approval for high-risk systems
AI register	Maintain an updated register of all AI systems in use
Life cycle management	Governance covering development, deployment, data governance, security, and ongoing monitoring

AI Transparency and Disclosure #

Obligation:

Transparency

enforcing

Effective:

Sep 4, 2024

Risk tier:

all (heightened for high-risk AI)

Scope:

deployers

Requirements

Requirement	Details
Annual disclosure	Submit annual AI disclosures to QCB detailing system risks, impact assessments, providers, and operations
On-request disclosure	Provide AI system information to QCB upon request
Customer notification	Disclose AI involvement to customers when AI systems affect their interactions or decisions
High-risk transparency	Heightened disclosure requirements for high-risk AI systems

Human Oversight of AI Systems #

Obligation:

Human Oversight

enforcing

Effective:

Sep 4, 2024

Risk tier:

all (mandatory for high-risk AI)

Scope:

deployers

Requirements

Requirement	Details
Human supervision	Mandatory protocols for human supervision of all AI systems
Intervention capability	Human intervention capabilities required, especially for high-risk systems
Accountability	Board and senior management accountable for AI system outcomes