His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, issued on 23 August 2016 Law regarding Small Vessels Registration (Law No. 8 of 2016). The new law was issued after 36 years of operation of the old law (No. 19 of 1980) and it introduced new conditions and penalties that small vessel owners will have to comply with. The law is not yet into force. It is expected to be published in the Official Gazette in the next couple of months and will come into force one month after being published in the Official Gazette.