Network Qatar
Qualitative market research agency in Qatar
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Qatar, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to shop-alongs and mystery shopping, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Qatar has 3.13 million people, 99.4 per cent of them in urban areas and 99.0 per cent online, and only 29.0 per cent of residents are women (DataReportal, Digital 2026): most of the population came to work. Qatari nationals and expatriate residents are different audiences, and a study has to say which one it needs. We have run focus groups in Qatar and Kuwait on how families shop.
AT A GLANCE
Qatar at a glance for researchers
- Population. 3.13 million people, median age 33.5, 99.4 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). A small, wealthy market concentrated in and around Doha. Doha and the neighbouring municipalities of Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah hold most of the population.
- Languages. Arabic with Qatari nationals, English with many expatriate professionals, and both in one session when the audience mixes. Our moderators live in Qatar and work in Gulf Arabic and English.
- Internet and mobile. 3.10 million internet users, 99.0 per cent of the population, and 4.75 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Everyone is online, and video interviews are routine. Social media counts 2.95 million user identities, 94.3 per cent of the population, and the median mobile download speed is 511.35 Mbps (same source), so a video interview on a phone runs without trouble.
- Where fieldwork happens. Doha and its surrounding districts, in hotels, viewing rooms or online. The country is compact, so one city covers the market. Lusail, Al Wakrah and Al Khor are within an hour of central Doha, and each participant is offered a venue near where they live or work.
- Data protection. Law No. 13 of 2016 on personal data protection applies. Consent is collected before each session, and participants are told what is recorded and why.
- Timing. We do not schedule fieldwork during Ramadan, and the two Eid holidays each stop work for several days. Many residents travel abroad in July and August. The weekend is Friday and Saturday. Sessions with working residents are booked in the evening, after the working day.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Qatar?
In Qatar, the first recruitment question is who you mean by the Qatari consumer. Nationals are a minority of residents, with their own income, family life and expectations, and they are recruited one introduction at a time. Expatriate residents are the larger group, and they are not one audience either: a study in Qatar names the nationalities, the incomes and the length of stay it needs.
- Nationals and expatriates, apart. Qatari nationals and expatriate residents differ in income, housing, family life and media. They are recruited separately and never mixed in one group, and the findings are reported side by side. Among expatriates, the brief also says which communities matter to the decision, because income and household set-up vary widely from one to the next.
- The mall is a family outing. In our focus groups in Qatar and Kuwait, shopping was an extended family outing to the mall, which serves as a social place as much as a place to buy. A study of a purchase looks at who came along. The moderator maps the visit: who chose the mall, who paid, and which purchases were planned before leaving home.
- Women's and men's sessions are planned. For many topics, women speak more freely with a woman moderator and without men present. Who moderates and who is in the room is decided at recruitment, as in our work in Saudi Arabia. Mixed sessions work for many professional topics, and we tell you at the quote stage which set-up we recommend for yours.
- A venue that suits a private conversation. Senior and affluent participants prefer a discreet hotel meeting room or a call from home. The setting is agreed with each participant when the session is booked. Your team watches by video link, so observers are never in the room.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Qatar?
- We recruit through local partners in Doha, who find the people your brief describes among Qatari nationals and among expatriate residents. Each recruit is screened on nationality, years in Qatar, income band and category use, and confirmed by phone before the session.
- Qatari nationals are approached through personal introductions, and each profile is checked before a session is booked. This takes longer than recruiting from a list, and the timeline in your quote says so.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Qatar?
Most studies in Qatar run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with shop-alongs, mystery shopping or UX research when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Affluent, senior and private audiences, in Arabic or English | A panel sample that holds few nationals |
| Focus groups | Concepts, retail and brands, with nationals and expatriates in separate groups | Mixed groups; nationals say less in them |
| Shop-alongs | Malls and hypermarkets, with the family members who come along | The buyer is not always the person holding the basket |
| Mystery shopping | Luxury, automotive, banking and hospitality service | A shopper who matches the customer the staff expect |
| UX research | Apps and sites in Arabic and English | An Arabic version that mirrors the English one word for word |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Qatar
How much does market research cost in Qatar?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Qatar added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Qatari nationals take longer to recruit than expatriate residents, and that moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Qatar?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A fieldwork house in Doha fits a team that brings its own moderator and guide. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Qatar that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Do I need separate groups for Qatari nationals and expatriates?
Yes, when both matter to your decision. They differ in income, family life and media, and nationals speak more openly among themselves. We recruit the two audiences separately and report them side by side. If the budget covers one audience only, choose the one whose behaviour the decision depends on, and the report says plainly whom it speaks for.
Should sessions in Qatar run in Arabic or in English?
Arabic with Qatari nationals, in the Gulf dialect, and English or Arabic with expatriate residents according to the audience. Our moderators work in both, and your team follows through translation. Stimulus is prepared in the language of each session, and Arabic materials are written for Gulf readers, not translated word for word from English.
When should I avoid fieldwork in Qatar?
During Ramadan, when we do not schedule fieldwork, and during the two Eid holidays. July and August are slow because many residents leave for the summer. Outside those periods the calendar is open, and we check the year's Ramadan and Eid dates with you when the study is planned.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Qatar told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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