National Religion of Qatar | Symbols of Qatar
Islam is the official National Religion of Qatar and Qataris are largely Sunni Muslims. There is a small Shia minority. Unlike some of its neighbors like Saudi Arabia, there is religious freedom in Qatar. The constitution allows freedom to associate with other religions aside from Islam. There are no abuses or discrimination on the basis of religion.
Muslims account for 67.7% of the population of Qatar. The non-Qatari population has a more diverse religious makeup, with Muslims, Christians, and Hindus comprising the largest religious groups. 13.8% of the population adheres to Christianity while an equal percentage are Hindus also live in the nation. The Christian community includes the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant. Hindu is almost exclusive to Indians working in Qatar. 3.1% of the population adhere to Buddhism. The remaining 1.6% of the population of Qatar are either unaffiliated or are followers of other religions.
The major leaders in the government have Islam as their religion though non-Muslim can still serve in government posts. The Ministry of Islamic Affairs is in-charge of mosque construction and Islamic education for new converts. Any religious group must register with the government to be recognized legally and the basic requirement is that each group must have at least 1,500 members in Qatar. No foreign missionary groups however operate openly in the country.