Terms of Use
The Government of the State of Qatar has been exerting extensive efforts to develop and spread communication and information technology throughout the country aiming to transform Qatar into a vibrant knowledge-based society, with safe and efficient e-services available at a finger-tip to all sectors of the society including citizens, residents, visitors and other business entities ("User"). These e-services are available at affordable cost in a short time and through multiple channels.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications, through its administrative unit for information technology (the "Administrative Unit") designed and developed an online e-government portal named ("Hukoomi"). Hukoomi allows the provision of various e-government services to the government, the private sector and the public at large. The portal enables processing advanced transactions for commercial and industrial businesses, and allows individuals obtain required information and services on self-service basis through more efficient and accurate government management. As for the government, the portal provides a platform for better intra-departmental coordination, simpler and easier processes and improved performance at less cost and in shorter time.
The terms of use set forth below ("Terms of Use") govern User's access to Hukoomi to be acquainted with and to use all information, documents and e-services available therein, in all forms and shapes, and to distribute, save and process such data and carry out all other related transactions.
Accessing and Using the Portal
User may access Hukoomi to be acquainted with and to use available services, taking in consideration that some sections/e-services in the portal cannot be accessed unless User enters User’s personal data. User acknowledges that data and information that User enters in such sections (if required) is true, accurate and complete and that User shall not attempt to access the portal using another person’s name or identity. User undertakes full liability for all provided data and information to access the portal and use it.
Important Notice
By accessing Hukoomi, browsing its contents or making any transactions therein, User has pre-agreed and accepted to be bound by all the following terms and conditions without any objection.
Service Specific Conditions
Concerned government entities provide their services to the User in accordance with their own standard agreements (“Service Specific Conditions”), which are based on the nature of respective service and include the specific conditions governing the provision of such services. Service Specific Conditions are disseminated to targeted community groups. Government entities must include, in Service Specific Conditions, terms that are derived from, and compatible with, these Terms of Use, provided that this does not result in compromising the safety, security and validity of the services provided and User’s data.
Data Compatibility
User is solely liable for the validity and correctness of the data provided by the User (if such data is required) and for guaranteeing its compatibility and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, the Service Specific Conditions and the Terms of Use.
The Administrative Unit of Hukoomi portal and the other concerned government entities reserve the right to examine User’s data to ensure its compatibility and compliance with the applicable laws and regulations in the State of Qatar, the Service Specific Conditions and these Terms of Use. Each government entity shall be responsible for ensuring User’s abidance by the said conditions.
Hukoomi Approved Security Standards
All media, devices, programs and systems employed by User to save, process or transmit data and the like must be compatible with Hukoomi’s approved security standards. User shall apply, whenever applicable, appropriate measures to ensure the validity and integrity of this data and to prevent any unauthorized access to, or use of, such data.
Hukoomi shall have the right to process, transmit or save data in Qatar or any other country if saving of such data so requires.
By using the available services, the User shall be considered as agreeing and accepting such processing of data by Hukoomi and other concerned government entities.
Confidentiality
Confidential information that may be acquired by the Administrative Unit, the concerned government entities or the User from each other when executing these Terms of Use, shall not be disclosed by receiver of such information except to its subordinates, agents or professional advisors, who need to know such information.
The receiver of confidential information guarantees that those individuals will use such information only to exercise those rights and to perform those duties entrusted to them and shall exercise due care to maintain and preserve the confidentiality of such information.
Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in the Terms of Use, the receiver of confidential information may disclose such information to the extent required by the laws of the State of Qatar or judicial rulings issued to this effect.
MOTC shall have the right to seek compensations from the User for any damage it incurs as a result of the User’s failure to comply with its obligations in respect of confidential information acquired by User in the course of using the portal, without prejudice to MOTC's right to block Users’ access to, and use of, the portal.
Lawful Use of the Portal
User agrees to access and use Hukoomi for lawful purposes only. User shall make all the necessary investigations to familiarize itself thoroughly with all the laws and regulations applicable to and governing the use of Hukoomi. The User shall comply with all the laws, rules and regulations applicable to Hukoomi and agrees to indemnify and hold the Administrative Unit harmless in respect of any breach of such laws..
By accessing the portal, User agrees to refrain from committing any acts or deeds that may conflict with the Terms of Use of the portal including, but not limited to, the following:-
Using the website with the intention of committing a felony or instigating others to be accomplices in actions that might be considered as criminal offence or involve civil liability. Posting or publishing any illegal content comprising discrimination, libel, abuse, harassment or defamation, or using the portal to impersonate other persons or parties. Using the portal to upload any materials or programs containing viruses, computer codes, files or programs that might alter or obstruct the functioning of the portal, or any device or program that belongs to any person that accesses the portal, or altering, destroying or deleting the portal’s contents. Uploading, inserting, sending or otherwise transmitting by any other means any material that the User has no right, under any law or contractual relationship, to send, or the deliberate disabling of ordinary communication lines in any way. Publishing or transmitting any advertisement or publicity material or any form of promotion, or publishing any material that contravenes, or conflicts with, the intellectual property rights of others, or gathering or saving any personal information about other people. Publishing or transmitting any material or information that contradicts or conflicts with, sacred canons or the customs or dominant traditions in the State of Qatar.
Updates
In coordination with the concerned government entities, the Administrative Unit occasionally updates or modifications, either by addition or by deletion, the Terms of Use, functions, applications, tools or features of the services available at the portal, or adds any new functions, data, applications, tools or features to these services including price (if applicable).
The Administrative Unit or the concerned government entities shall inform the User of these updates or modifications by publishing them on Hukoomi. These updates or modifications shall be effective immediately upon their publication whether they apply to new or existing services unless another effective date for the commencement of respective updates/modifications is mentioned on the portal.
The User agrees, without any limitation, reservation or condition to any modifications that may be introduced to, or removed from, the services available on the portal. In case User does not agree to the modified conditions or services, User shall immediately stop using the services available through Hukoomi.
Links to Other Website
To facilitate things to the User, Hukoomi portal provides links to other portals or websites that are not operated by Qatar e-government and not controlled by the Administrative Unit. Accessing these other portals and websites is subject to terms and conditions specific to them and User's access thereto shall be without any responsibility or liability on the part of Hukoomi.
Charges and Costs
Services available on Hukoomi portal, including data, information, documents, certificates and other similar materials, are provided to the end user as a general asset free of charge.
However, in case a fee is imposed on the services provided by the concerned government entity through the portal, an e-invoice for the fee inclusive of taxes will be issued to the User and will show whether payment is in advance or later as determined by the concerned government entity. User shall pay the amount determined for the service in question in accordance with the applicable terms of payment.
Recovering Fees and Costs
MOTC has absolutely no liability whatsoever for any fees or costs paid by the User to any of the concerned government entities in return of using any of the services provided through Hukoomi or as compensation therefor.
If the User submits any demands or financial claims to MOTC to recover any fees or costs formerly paid in return for services and information available on the portal, the concerned party in MOTC shall refer such demands or claims to the concerned government entity to review and assess the validity thereof and to refund the amount (if any) to the User without any liability on MOTC in this regard.
Copyrights and Intellectual Property Rights
The Administrative Unit does not give any warranties or assurances with respect to preservation of any copyrights or intellectual property rights of the User or any other party as regards the use of Hukoomi.
The Administrative Unit reserves the right to respond to any notifications relating to alleged violations of copyrights or intellectual property rights through the portal's email address contact@Hukoomi.qa.
Restrictions
The User shall not, by itself or through its subordinates or others, carry out or allow copying, modifying, reverse programming, designing, editing, translating or disassembling, or otherwise any other attempt to extract all, some or part of the source codes of the services provided through Hukoomi, or sublicense, resell or distribute any service, without a prior written approval from Hukoomi or the concerned government entity.
Monitoring Content
The Administrative Unit reserves the right to monitor and sensor any content introduced by the User, and shall have the right, without any obligation in this regard, to delete or remove any introduced materials that may infringe on the Terms of Use.
Warranties and Liability
Except for what is expressly provided for in these Terms of Use, and to the maximum allowable limit under the Qatari laws and regulations, the Administrative Unit does not give any other warranty of any kind whether express, implied or required by law, or otherwise, including data security, freedom of services from errors or services being uninterruptible and anything relating to merchantability of offer, fitness for a specific purpose and/or non-infringement.
Neither MOTC nor the Administrative Unit shall have any liability or obligation as regards deletion or failure to save any data relating to the User or any other correspondence/communications saved, stored or transmitted through the portal’s services. Additionally, the Administrative Unit shall have no liability whatsoever towards the User for any direct or indirect damages thereto in this respect, or for payment of any fees or costs in return of using services through Hukoomi portal.
Conceding Warranty
User clearly understands and agrees that its usage of the portal, or any material made available through it, is performed under the User's sole liability. Neither the Administrative Unit nor any of its employees provide any warranty that the portal will be free from interruptions, obstructions, deletion, or errors. Additionally, no warranty or representation is made as regards any results to be achieved or obtained from using the portal, as contents and tools on the website are provided by the concerned government entities on the basis of ‘as is’ without warranties of any kind including, for instance, warranties as to the name, marketability, fitness for a specific purpose or use, or popularity.
Force Majeure
MOTC does not undertake any liability for failure or delay in the performance of its Administrative Unit if such failure or delay occurs due to circumstances beyond its control.
Additionally, MOTC does not assume any liability in the event of any emergency accident based on which (in the circumstances) the Administrative Unit or the concerned government entity suspends or disables Hukoomi automatically, or to suspend or disable services advertised on the portal, or any of the services provided by the concerned government entity through the portal.
Termination
The Administrative Unit shall have the right to terminate the Terms of Use of Hukoomi without having to give any reasons and does not assume any liability towards User resulting therefrom with respect to all or any part of the services available on the portal. The Administrative Unit, however, will publish the termination of any service or services on Hukoomi, and such publication shall be considered sufficient notification to User.
The Administrative Unit may terminate the Terms of Use if the User is deceased or deported outside the State of Qatar. This also applies if the User loses legal personality or becomes subject to any bankruptcy arrangements.
Consequences of Termination
Termination of these Terms of Use shall result in the immediate cancellation of the rights granted to User pursuant to these Terms of Use. All fees and costs of services provided including taxes (if any) shall become payable immediately to the concerned government entity. User shall return all confidential information of Hukoomi and of the concerned government entity or destroy it (as required) to the extent required. MOTC may charge User for all costs and expenses (including legal fees and other professional expenses) incurred by Hukoomi as a result of, in relation to or due to any performance or refusal by the User to abide by the Terms of Use, in any way.
The Governing Law and the Competent Court
The Terms of Use and the Service Specific Conditions shall be subject to the applicable laws and regulations of the State of Qatar, and shall be interpreted and construed in accordance therewith. Only the courts of Qatar shall have the exclusive jurisdiction in respect of any dispute that may arise from applying these Terms of Use, or which relates to these Terms of Use or their interpretation or the interpretation of any one of their provisions, or arise simply on the occasion thereof.
Accessing the portal of Qatar e-government ‘Hukoomi’ and processing any of the services provided by the concerned government entities through the portal shall be considered as an undertaking by the User that the User has read and understood the Terms of Use above and agrees to be bound by them.