Motor Takaful in Qatar Compared (2026): QIIC, Beema, General, Alkhaleej, Shamel

Five takaful operators sell motor cover in Qatar: Qatar Islamic Insurance Company (QIIC), Beema (Damaan Islamic Insurance), General Takaful, Alkhaleej Takaful (AKTI) and Shamel, the May 2025 rebrand of Doha Takaful. On the published pages, Alkhaleej offers the longest agency repair at up to 7 years, Shamel up to 4 or 5 years depending on package, QIIC up to 3, and Beema sells agency repair as a priced add-on. On surplus, QIIC advertises a 15% annual cash return, Beema's 2025 accounts show QAR 9.56 million distributed to policyholders, and General Takaful's 2025 accounts show the whole QAR 10.24 million surplus transferred to shareholders. Prices are quote-only everywhere. Start with our takaful versus insurance explainer if the model is new to you.

Third party versus comprehensive: the same law, five wordings

Third-party liability cover is the legal minimum for every vehicle in Qatar and every operator sells it. Beema's page describes its third-party policy as unlimited in coverage as judged by the competent courts, including bodily injury to passengers and the driver, and is candid that it pays nothing for your own car. Alkhaleej sells compulsory third-party cover in Silver, Gold and Platinum options. Shamel says the third-party premium depends on the car's make and cylinder count, and that buying it online includes free roadside assistance. QIIC and General Takaful describe it as the mandatory minimum. The differences at this level are price and the extras bundled in, not the core cover, which the law defines.

Comprehensive cover is where the operators differ. Every page uses the same base definition, damage to the insured vehicle while driven on paved roads within Qatar, and then adds features. The table lists what each operator publishes for its comprehensive product. Where a feature is not on the page we say so rather than assume.

Agency repair: the feature that decides most comparisons

Agency repair means your car is fixed at the manufacturer's dealership with genuine parts rather than at an approved garage, and it is the single feature most buyers of a new car care about, because it protects resale value. The published limits run from Alkhaleej's 7 years, which is the longest in the market by a clear margin, through Shamel's 4 years (5 at the original dealership on its top package), to QIIC's 3 years. Beema prices agency repair as a separate add-on and highlights no depreciation on spare parts, which is a different promise: not how long you qualify, but whether the operator deducts for wear when it replaces a part. General Takaful says repairs at official dealerships are available without stating a year limit.

Two questions to ask every operator before you compare price. First, is the limit counted from first registration or from the policy start? A 4 year old car on a policy that says agency repair up to 4 years may fall out of cover at renewal. Second, does the agency repair promise exclude parts depreciation, as Beema's does, or does the operator apply a depreciation table to parts? QIIC's FAQ describes the Insured Declared Value as the manufacturer's list price adjusted for a tariff depreciation table, which is a total loss calculation, not a parts rule; ask separately.

Surplus: what the latest accounts show for each operator

The feature that makes takaful different from conventional insurance is that the policyholders' fund belongs to the policyholders, and a surplus after claims and expenses can be returned to them. The operators' websites and audited accounts tell five different stories.

Beema is the only operator whose published accounts let you see both the surplus earned and the amount actually paid out, and the two numbers are close: QAR 9.56 million distributed from an QAR 11.76 million surplus in 2025. General Takaful's 2025 statement is the opposite case. Its participants' fund earned QAR 10.24 million before transfers and the full amount was transferred to shareholders, so participants' surplus for the year was nil. The prior year shows the mechanism working the other way, with shareholders transferring QAR 8.86 million into the fund to cover a deficit and participants still receiving QAR 1.69 million. That is the kind of arrangement our explainer on who actually receives takaful surplus in Qatar warns about: a surplus exists on paper, and the transfer line decides whether you see it. QIIC's 15% is a marketing figure on the homepage; our QIIC review sets out the four questions to ask about its base and eligibility.

Claims: who answers on WhatsApp and what you need

All five operators now take motor claims without an office visit, and four publish a WhatsApp route. QIIC's motor page says to call 44658888 or WhatsApp for claims, promises an SMS with a claim reference and the assigned workshop within a day, and lists the car registration card and incident details with photos as the documents. Beema's claims page lists WhatsApp for claims and the general line 4405 0555. General Takaful's motor claims page says claims can be filed through WhatsApp 55225570 and online. Alkhaleej's motor page says to send the claim to 70801616 on WhatsApp with your Qatar ID, registration card and licence, and expect acknowledgement within 24 hours. Shamel's FAQ lists customer service on 44292880, online and app submission, and the Barwa Mesaimeer branch, and asks for four photos of the car, Qatar ID, licence, istimara and a police report or the Metrash accident SMS.

• Police report or Metrash accident notification: every operator requires it; without it no claim opens
• Istimara (registration card), Qatar ID and the driver's licence: the three documents all five pages list
• Photographs: Shamel asks for four, one per side; QIIC asks for incident photos; take them before the car is moved
• Policy number: QIB's app retrieves auto takaful policies by number, and QIIC issues a claim reference by SMS that tracks the claim
• Cover note validity: QIIC's FAQ says a cover note lasts 60 days and must be replaced by a certificate before it expires

What the Islamic banks require on a financed car

If the car is financed, the bank chooses the insurer or sets the terms, and the choice narrows to the operator the bank partners with. QIB sells Auto Takaful designed and underwritten by Beema at a published rate as low as 2.20% a year or a one-time 6% for three years on new vehicles, with 5 years of complimentary agency repairs, comprehensive cover plus third party, roadside assistance, and the option to bundle the takaful into the finance instalment. QIIB states that comprehensive insurance is available at 2.4% for financed vehicles, new vehicles only, provided in co-operation with QIIC. AlRayan Bank publishes a takaful rate of up to 1.281% of the finance amount in its retail tariff and a life takaful rate of up to 0.062% per month on the outstanding amount, without naming the operator. Dukhan Bank's vehicle finance page promises free life insurance on the financed amount and does not publish a motor takaful rate or operator.

The practical consequence is that a QIB customer is a Beema customer and a QIIB customer is a QIIC customer for as long as the finance runs, and the bank's rate is the comparison point, not the operator's quote. Our article on takaful in Qatar financing explains how that cost sits inside the instalment. Once the finance is settled and the mortgage on the istimara is released, you are free to move, which is where the next section begins.

How to switch operator at renewal

QIIC's FAQ states that all motor policies are annual, issued for twelve months, with shorter periods only by approval, and that is the industry norm, so the switch happens at renewal. QIB's three-year Auto Takaful is the exception: it runs for three years without annual renewal on new vehicles, so a QIB-financed buyer has one switching window in three years, at the end of the term. The steps are the same everywhere.

• Six weeks before expiry, get quotes from at least three operators on the same basis: same declared value, same agency repair term, same add-ons. Shamel's FAQ says to enter the market value range its site shows; QIIC bases IDV on list price less tariff depreciation, or an agreed value for cars over five years
• Ask each operator whether agency repair is counted from first registration and whether parts are depreciated; Beema's add-on is explicit that they are not
• If the car is financed, ask the bank whether the finance contract names the operator or only sets a minimum cover; QIB and QIIB name Beema and QIIC respectively
• Ask the outgoing operator for your claims history letter and whether any surplus for the current year will still be paid if you leave; QIIC's pages do not say whether leavers participate
• Do not let the old policy lapse before the new one starts: a gap means driving without the mandatory cover, and a new cover note from the incoming operator is valid for a limited period before the certificate issues
• Buy online where the operator offers it, since Shamel includes free roadside assistance on online third-party purchases and Alkhaleej reads your QID and istimara from an upload

Our verdict: which operator for which driver

For a new car bought with cash, Alkhaleej Takaful's published 7 years of agency repair and 5 days of replacement car is the richest comprehensive package on paper, and our Alkhaleej Takaful profile explains the questions to ask about its fund. For a buyer who weights surplus history, QIIC's advertised 15% record is unmatched, though the base is undefined on the page. For a buyer who wants to see the money, Beema's accounts show QAR 9.56 million actually distributed in 2025 and its add-on pricing makes the cost of agency repair and a hire car visible rather than bundled; our Beema profile covers its QCB licence and ownership. Shamel's packages suit a driver of a car between three and five years old who wants dealership repair a little longer than QIIC offers and natural disaster cover for the rain season.

General Takaful is the hardest to recommend on the numbers this year. Its 2025 accounts transferred the entire participants' surplus to shareholders, so a motor policyholder got nothing back from a profitable year. Its WhatsApp claims line and dealership repair are competitive, and the arrangement cut the other way in 2024, but a surplus that can be transferred out in full is not the surplus the takaful model promises. If the car is financed at QIB or QIIB the choice is made for you until settlement. For everyone else, quote three operators on an identical basis and read the agency repair clause before the premium. Facts checked against qiic.com.qa, beema.com.qa, g-takaful.com.qa, alkhaleej.com.qa, shamel.com.qa, qib.com.qa, qiib.com.qa, alrayan.com on 15 September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Which motor takaful in Qatar offers the longest agency repair?

Alkhaleej Takaful publishes agency repair for up to 7 years on its comprehensive cover, the longest among the five operators. Shamel publishes up to 4 years, rising to 5 at the original dealership on its higher package; QIB's Beema-underwritten Auto Takaful gives 5 years on new financed cars; QIIC publishes up to 3 years. Beema sells agency repair as a priced add-on with no parts depreciation.

Which takaful operator actually pays a surplus to motor policyholders?

Beema's 2025 accounts show QAR 9.56 million distributed to policyholders from a QAR 11.76 million net surplus. QIIC advertises a 15% annual cash surplus return on its homepage. General Takaful's 2025 accounts show the full QAR 10.24 million participants' surplus transferred to shareholders, leaving nil for participants. Alkhaleej and Shamel publish no surplus figure on the pages we checked.

Do I have to use the bank's takaful on a financed car?

In practice yes while the finance runs. QIB's Auto Takaful is underwritten by Beema at a published rate as low as 2.20% a year or 6% once for three years; QIIB offers comprehensive cover at 2.4% through QIIC on new vehicles. AlRayan publishes a takaful rate of up to 1.281% of the finance amount without naming an operator. Once the finance is settled and the mortgage released, you can switch at the next renewal.

How do I make a motor claim by WhatsApp in Qatar?

Alkhaleej takes claims on WhatsApp 70801616 and promises acknowledgement within 24 hours; General Takaful on 55225570; QIIC by phone on 44658888 or WhatsApp, with an SMS reference within a day; Beema lists a WhatsApp claims route alongside 4405 0555; Shamel on 44292880, online or in its app. All require the police report or Metrash accident SMS, istimara, Qatar ID, licence and photographs.

Is third-party takaful enough?

It satisfies the law and covers your liability to others, which Beema describes as unlimited as judged by the courts, but it pays nothing for damage to your own car. For a car worth more than a few months' salary, comprehensive cover is the sensible choice, and for a car under the operator's agency repair limit it is the only way to keep dealership repairs. Shamel adds free roadside assistance to third-party cover bought online.

When can I switch motor takaful operator?

At renewal, since QIIC's FAQ confirms motor policies are annual and the market follows suit. QIB's three-year Auto Takaful on new financed cars has one window at the end of the term. Get three quotes on an identical basis six weeks ahead, check how agency repair years are counted, confirm the bank allows the change if the car is financed, and start the new policy before the old one expires.