Qatar's payment infrastructure underwent significant modernization in the mid-2020s.
Currency
Currency: Qatari riyal
Code: QAR
Central bank: Qatar Central Bank
Peg: QAR 3.64 per US$1
QA-RTGS
Qatar Central Bank launched the upgraded QA-RTGS in 2024.
It uses ISO 20022 and serves as the primary interbank settlement infrastructure.
Fawran
Fawran is Qatar's instant payment system.
It supports real-time domestic transfers.
Qatar Mobile Payment
QMP is an interoperable national mobile-payment switch connecting licensed banks/PSPs and digital wallets.
NAPS
NAPS supports national ATM/POS switching and provides regional connectivity.
Other systems
QCB's retail infrastructure includes:
QPay;
Tahweel;
Electronic cheque clearing;
Wage protection;
Related retail settlement systems.
AFAQ
Qatar Central Bank joined AFAQ on September 7, 2026.
This is a very recent development relative to this primer's update date.
Bank-level services will depend on onboarding and operational availability.
Stablecoins
The Qatar Financial Centre digital-asset framework regulates permitted tokenized assets. However QFCRA explicitly classifies cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and similar currency-substitute tokens as Excluded Tokens, meaning the new tokenization framework is not a general stablecoin-payment regime.
CBDC
QCB is also experimenting with wholesale CBDC for interbank payments and delivery-versus-payment use cases.
That is separate from USDC/USDT.
Related pages
Authoritative sources and update date
Research updated: September 16, 2026.
This content is designed as an explainer. Payment availability, participant-bank coverage, cut-off times, fees, FX spreads, stablecoin treatment, and licensing requirements can change. For an actual transaction, confirm the current position with the relevant central bank, payment-system operator, sending institution and receiving institution.