US Dollar
Euro
British Pound
UAE Dirham
Australian Dollar
Singapore DollarThe currency of Qatar دولة قطر
Qatari
RiyalQAR
The currency of Qatar is the Qatari riyal (QAR), divided into 100 dirhams and issued by Qatar Central Bank. It has been held at QR 3.64 to the US dollar since 1980: one riyal costs ₹27.49 at our selling rate right now.
- Code
- QAR
- Symbol
- QRر.ق
- Subunit
- 100 dirhams
- In use since
- 1973
What is the currency of Qatar?
The currency of Qatar is the Qatari riyal, code QAR, written QR or ر.ق. One riyal is divided into 100 dirhams. Qatar Central Bank issues it, and it has been Qatar's own money since 19 May 1973, when it replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal one for one. It is fixed at QR 3.64 to the US dollar, so against the rupee it moves with the dollar: on 5 Oct 2026, one riyal was worth about ₹27.49 at our selling rate.
Qatari Riyal at a glance
- Currency
- Qatari riyalريال قطري
- Code
- QARNumeric code 634
- Symbol
- QR, or ر.قTags read QR 25 or QAR 25
- Subunit
- 1 riyal = 100 dirhams
- Issuer
- Qatar Central BankSince 1993; the Qatar Monetary Agency before that
- Introduced
- 19 May 1973Replaced the Qatar and Dubai riyal one for one
- Exchange rate
- QR 3.64 per US dollarHeld since June 1980, in law since July 2001
- Used in
- Qatar only
- Banknotes
- 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 riyalsFifth series, in circulation since 18 December 2020
- Coins
- 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 dirhamsOnly the 25 and 50 are seen much
Qatar currency notes and coins
Qatar money comes as seven banknotes and five coins. The notes are the fifth series, in circulation since Qatar National Day, 18 December 2020, and every one shares a front with the flag, the Dreama flower and a traditional gate. Each is shown with what it costs in rupees at our selling rate today.
- Qatar Central BankOne riyal1QR
One riyal QR 1
≈ ₹27.49 today- Colour
- Green
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- A traditional dhow and the Oyster and Pearl Monument
- Qatar Central BankFive riyals5QR
Five riyals QR 5
≈ ₹137.43 today- Colour
- Brown
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- Desert life: Arabian horses, a camel, oryxes, the Al Ghaf tree and a hair tent
- Qatar Central BankTen riyals10QR
Ten riyals QR 10
≈ ₹274.86 today- Colour
- Blue
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- Lusail Stadium, the Torch Tower, Sidra Medicine and Education City
- Qatar Central BankFifty riyals50QR
Fifty riyals QR 50
≈ ₹1,374.32 today- Colour
- Red
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- The Qatar Central Bank and Ministry of Finance buildings
- Qatar Central BankOne hundred riyals100QR
One hundred riyals QR 100
≈ ₹2,748.64 today- Colour
- Teal
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- Abu Al Qubaib Mosque
- Qatar Central BankTwo hundred riyals200QR
Two hundred riyals QR 200
≈ ₹5,497.28 today- Colour
- Orange
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- The Museum of Islamic Art, the National Museum of Qatar and the palace of Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani
- Qatar Central BankFive hundred riyals500QR
Five hundred riyals QR 500
≈ ₹13,743.20 today- Colour
- Purple
- Front
- Flag, Dreama flower and gate
- Back
- The Ras Laffan gas plant and an LNG carrier
Coins, in dirhams
Only the 25 and 50 dirham coins turn up much in change. The copper-coloured 1, 5 and 10 are rarely seen.
- 11 dirham
≈ ₹0.27 - 55 dirhams
≈ ₹1.37 - 1010 dirhams
≈ ₹2.75 - 2525 dirhams
≈ ₹6.87 - 5050 dirhams
≈ ₹13.74
Sources: Qatar Central Bank, current banknotes; Qatar Museums; colours as printed. Rupee values at our selling rate, 10:25 AM IST, 5 Oct 2026.
- Indian rupeeUntil 1959
Used in Qatar after its 1916 treaty with Britain.
- Gulf rupee1959 to 1966
Printed by the Reserve Bank of India with a "Z" prefix, for the Gulf only, worth the same as the rupee.
- Saudi riyalJune to September 1966
A stopgap after the devaluation, borrowed from Saudi Arabia.
- Qatar and Dubai riyal1966 to 1973
Shared by Qatar and Dubai, worth one Gulf rupee at its old value.
- UAE dirhamFrom 1973
Dubai joined the United Arab Emirates and left the shared riyal.
- Qatari riyalSince 19 May 1973
Swapped one for one for the Qatar and Dubai riyal.
How India's 1966 devaluation made the riyal
For half a century Qatar paid in rupees, and from 1959 in special Gulf rupees printed by the Reserve Bank of India. Then India devalued the rupee overnight, and Qatar left it for a riyal of its own.
India creates the Gulf rupee
An amendment to the Reserve Bank of India Act lets India issue rupees that circulate only in the Gulf, to stop gold smuggling from draining its reserves.
The rupee is devalued
India moves from Rs 4.76 to Rs 7.50 to the US dollar, and the Gulf rupee falls with it.
A riyal worth one old rupee
After three months on borrowed Saudi riyals, Qatar and Dubai issue a shared riyal, equal to one Gulf rupee at its value before the devaluation.
Qatar's own riyal
Dubai has joined the United Arab Emirates, so Qatar issues the Qatari riyal and swaps the old notes one for one.
Sources: Qatar Central Bank, monetary policy and banknote history pages; Scroll.in on the Gulf rupee; P. J. Symes on the Qatar and Dubai currency; Forbes India on the 1966 devaluation; Wikipedia, "Gulf rupee".
Why the riyal stays at 3.64
The riyal does not float. Its value against the dollar has not changed since 1980, which is why its rupee price moves only when the dollar does.
Fixed to the dollar since 1980
Qatar has held the riyal at QR 3.64 per US dollar since June 1980. Qatar Central Bank buys and sells dollars at that price, so the rate does not drift.
Written into law in 2001
Amiri Decree No. 34 of July 2001 made the dollar peg official, replacing a formal link to the IMF's Special Drawing Right that dated from 1975.
The rupee is what moves
Because the riyal is locked to the dollar, every change in the rupee's dollar rate shows up in the riyal's rupee price. The other Gulf pegs work the same way, at different prices.
One unit in rupees · our selling rate, 5 Oct 2026
The riyal since 1973
Qatar has had a currency of its own for just over fifty years. What changed along the way, in eight entries.
- EntryQatar
The Qatari riyal
On 19 May the new Qatar Monetary Agency issues the riyal, swapped one for one for the Qatar and Dubai riyal.
Launch - EntryQatar
A link to the SDR
Decree No. 60 of 1975 ties the riyal formally to the IMF's Special Drawing Right.
- EntryQatar
QR 3.64 to the dollar
From June 1980 the riyal is held at QR 3.64 per US dollar in practice, while still formally tied to the SDR.
- EntryQatar
Qatar Central Bank
Decree Law No. 15 of 5 August 1993 sets up Qatar Central Bank in place of the Monetary Agency.
- EntryQatar
The peg in law
Amiri Decree No. 34 of July 2001 makes QR 3.64 per dollar the official rate.
- EntryQatar
The fifth series
New notes enter circulation on 18 December, Qatar National Day, including the first 200-riyal note.
New note - EntryQatar
Old notes retired
Fourth-series notes stop being legal tender on 1 July 2021; banks exchange them until 31 December.
- EntryQatar
A 22-riyal note
For the FIFA World Cup, Qatar issues its first polymer note, worth QR 22 and sold for QR 75.
Sources: Qatar Central Bank, banknote history and monetary policy pages; WTO Trade Policy Review of Qatar; The Peninsula, Gulf Times and Qatar News Agency, 2020 to 2026; Wikipedia, "Qatari riyal".
Riyals and rupees side by side
Worked out at our selling rate at 10:25 AM IST on 5 Oct 2026. For the live rate on any amount, use the QAR to INR or INR to QAR converter.
| You pay | You get |
|---|---|
| ₹5,000 | QR 181.91 |
| ₹10,000 | QR 363.82 |
| ₹25,000 | QR 909.54 |
| ₹50,000 | QR 1,819.08 |
| ₹1,00,000 | QR 3,638.16 |
| ₹2,00,000 | QR 7,276.33 |
| You buy | It costs |
|---|---|
| QR 10 | ₹274.86 |
| QR 50 | ₹1,374.32 |
| QR 100 | ₹2,748.64 |
| QR 500 | ₹13,743.20 |
| QR 1,000 | ₹27,486.40 |
| QR 5,000 | ₹1,37,432.00 |
Spending riyals in Qatar
Three things about money in Qatar that help on the first day.
Prices start with QR
Tags and menus put QR or QAR before the amount, with two decimals where they show them: QR 12.50 is twelve riyals and fifty dirhams, about ₹343.58.
QR 12.50 = 12 riyals + 50 dirhamsLocal cards run on NAPS
Debit cards and cash machines in Qatar connect through NAPS, the national network run by Qatar Central Bank. Qatar's own Himyan cards work only inside Qatar, so bring a card on an international network as well as cash.
NAPS · Himyan · FawranCash for the souq
Cards and phone wallets are common in Doha's malls and hotels, but cash is still preferred in the souqs, fishing villages and small family restaurants.
Small notes: QR 1, 5 and 10Taking Qatari riyals from India
The Reserve Bank of India's rules apply to every currency. Qatar adds one of its own: cash, jewellery or precious metals worth QR 50,000 or more must be declared at customs.
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip can leave India as Qatari riyal notes. The rest goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer.
Every resident can send up to USD 250,000 abroad each financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, travel included.
Tax collected at source applies once your foreign-exchange purchases in a financial year cross ₹10 lakh: nil when an education loan pays, 2% for self-funded education and medical treatment, and 20% for travel and everything else. It is credited against your income tax when you file.
Qatari riyals are on our booking form. Send your amount and the desk confirms your exact rate before anything is booked.
Book Qatari Riyals→Qatari riyal questions
The questions people type about the riyal, answered in full, in three groups.
The basics
9 questionsWhat is the currency of Qatar?
The currency of Qatar is the Qatari riyal, code QAR, divided into 100 dirhams. It is issued by Qatar Central Bank and has been in use since 19 May 1973, in the capital, Doha, and across the country.
What is the currency of Doha?
Doha, the capital of Qatar, uses the Qatari riyal like the rest of the country, so the Doha currency and the Qatar currency are the same money. In Doha, Qatar currency is marked QR or QAR on price tags, and one riyal is 100 dirhams.
What is the full form of QAR?
QAR stands for Qatari Riyal. QA is Qatar's two-letter country code and R is for riyal, following the ISO 4217 standard, so the QAR full form is Qatari Riyal and "QAR currency" always means Qatar's money. Its numeric code is 634.
What is the Qatari riyal symbol?
The Qatari riyal symbol is QR in English and ر.ق in Arabic, and it is the Qatar currency symbol you will see on most price tags, as in QR 25. Banks and the tourist board also use the code, as in QAR 25.
Qatar ki currency kya hai?
Qatar ki currency Qatari riyal (QAR) hai. Ek riyal mein 100 dirham hote hain, aur 5 Oct 2026 ko ek riyal lagbhag ₹27.49 ka tha, hamare selling rate par. Qatar ki currency ka symbol QR hai.
Is it Qatar riyal or Qatari riyal?
The official name is the Qatari riyal, but Qatar riyal means the same money, and the international ISO list spells it Qatari rial. There is no Qatar dinar or Qatar dirham currency: the dinar is the money of Kuwait and Bahrain, and in Qatar a dirham is one hundredth of a riyal.
How many dirhams make one Qatari riyal?
One Qatar riyal is 100 dirhams. Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 dirhams, but only the 25 and 50 turn up much in change; the smallest note is the 1 riyal.
What is Qatar money called?
Qatar money is called the riyal, in full the Qatari riyal. Its notes run from QR 1 to QR 500 and its coins are dirhams. The Qatar currency name is shared with the Saudi riyal, but the two are separate currencies at different values.
Who issues the Qatari riyal?
Qatar Central Bank, set up by Decree Law No. 15 of 5 August 1993. Before that the riyal was issued by the Qatar Monetary Agency, created in 1973, and before 1973 Qatar shared the Qatar and Dubai riyal with Dubai.
Value and history
6 questionsWhy is the Qatari riyal fixed at 3.64 to the dollar?
Qatar has held the riyal at QR 3.64 per US dollar since June 1980 and made that rate official by Amiri Decree No. 34 in July 2001, replacing a formal link to the SDR that dated from 1975. Qatar Central Bank buys and sells dollars at that price, so the riyal does not float; against the rupee it moves only when the dollar does.
Is the Qatari riyal worth more than the Saudi riyal?
Slightly. The Qatari riyal is fixed at 3.64 to the US dollar and the Saudi riyal at 3.75, so one Qatari riyal is worth about 1.03 Saudi riyals. They are separate currencies; our Saudi riyal page covers Saudi Arabia's.
Which Qatari banknotes are in use?
The fifth series, in circulation since 18 December 2020: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 riyals. Later printings with an updated state emblem (QR 1 from 2025; QR 5, 10 and 50 from 2026) circulate alongside the first ones, and the QR 22 World Cup note is legal tender too.
Are old Qatari riyal notes still valid?
No. The fourth series stopped being legal tender on 1 July 2021, and banks exchanged it only until 31 December 2021. Qatar Central Bank said holders could still claim the value of withdrawn notes from it for up to ten years from the withdrawal decision.
What is the 22 riyal note?
A commemorative note for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, unveiled on 9 November 2022. It was Qatar's first polymer note, shows Lusail Stadium on the front and Al Bayt Stadium, a dhow and Al Zubara Fort on the back, and is legal tender at QR 22, although it was sold for QR 75.
Was the Indian rupee used in Qatar?
Yes. Qatar used the Indian rupee after its 1916 treaty with Britain, and from 1959 the Gulf rupee, a special issue of the Reserve Bank of India worth the same as the Indian rupee. After India devalued the rupee on 6 June 1966, Qatar switched to Saudi riyals for three months and then to the Qatar and Dubai riyal.
Buying from India
2 questionsHow much Qatari currency can I take from India?
Up to the equivalent of USD 3,000 per trip in currency notes; the rest goes on a forex card or as a bank transfer, within the USD 250,000 a year Liberalised Remittance Scheme. On arrival, Qatar asks travellers to declare cash, jewellery or precious metals worth QR 50,000 or more.
How do I get Qatari riyals for a trip to Qatar?
Order them before you fly. Matrix Forex, an RBI-authorised Category-II dealer, has Qatari riyals on its booking form: send your amount through the booking bar at the top of this page and the desk confirms your exact rate before anything is booked. For the live rate on any amount, see the QAR to INR converter.