If you have a child with a disability or additional learning needs in Qatar, support may be available through mainstream-school inclusion services, specialised government schools, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s assessment system and licensed private schools or educational-support centres.
Eligible Qatari students with specified disabilities may also receive enhanced educational vouchers worth up to QAR 78,000 a year when attending a nationally accredited private school.
However, there is not one identical pathway for every child. The correct route depends on:
- The child’s needs and diagnosis
- Whether the family is seeking public or private education
- The child’s nationality and public-school eligibility
- Whether the child needs classroom support or specialised placement
- Whether the application concerns school registration or a disability voucher
This guide to special needs education and support in Qatar explains where families can begin, how the assessment and placement process works, which specialised government schools are listed by the Ministry and how the educational-voucher programme operates.
Where to start with special needs education in Qatar
The starting point depends on the child’s situation.
A child who is already attending school and experiencing learning difficulties may first be referred to the school’s inclusion, learning-support or special-education team.
The Ministry’s February 2026 registration guidance states that children with learning difficulties or speech disorders may be registered directly through schools. Cases involving autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities and hearing impairments are referred through the Ministry’s specialist student-support system for assessment and appropriate placement.
For a new application to a specialised government school, the Ministry introduced an electronic registration process through the Maaref Public Services Portal in May 2026.
The process begins online rather than with an automatic walk-in assessment. Parents may be asked to upload:
- Birth certificate
- Kahramaa bill or address evidence
- Health-assessment certificate
- An approved medical report issued within the previous two years
- Other identity and school documents requested through Maaref
The Ministry reviews the application and sends the result by SMS. Where the initial application is accepted, the child is scheduled for a comprehensive specialist assessment to identify the educational environment and support services that best match their needs.
Private schools may also conduct their own admissions and learning-support evaluations. A private-school assessment does not necessarily replace a Ministry assessment required for government placement or educational-voucher classification.
The public authority: MOEHE Department of Special Education and Inclusive Education
The Department of Special Education and Inclusive Education within the Ministry of Education and Higher Education is responsible for regulating and supporting special education and inclusion within Qatar’s public-school system.
Its responsibilities include areas such as:
- Identifying and assessing students with disabilities
- Referring students to appropriate educational settings
- Supporting inclusion in mainstream classrooms
- Supervising specialised schools
- Individual educational programmes
- Assistive technology
- School-based support services
- Monitoring the quality of inclusion services
- Training special-education staff
The Ministry provides inclusion through several possible settings, including mainstream classrooms, resource rooms and specialised schools, depending on the student’s assessed needs.
Department contact number: +974 4404 5541
The Ministry’s general contact centre can also be reached on 155 or +974 4404 4444.
This is a useful first contact if you need to clarify:
- Whether to apply through a school or Maaref
- Whether a specialist assessment is required
- Which specialised school serves your area
- Whether the child may qualify for a disability voucher
- Which documents should be prepared
Public special needs schools in Qatar
The original list included only three Al-Hidaya schools. The Ministry’s current directory lists a wider network of specialised government schools and kindergartens.
Placement is not based only on parental preference. The Ministry considers the child’s assessment, age, gender, abilities, support needs, geographic area and available educational environment.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Al Messila
Location: Al Messila, Doha
Stages: Primary, preparatory and secondary
Students: Boys
Email: alhidayah-almessila@edu.gov.qa
This branch serves boys across several school stages. Admission and placement must be coordinated through the Ministry rather than arranged only by contacting the school directly.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Dahl Al Hamam
Location: Dahl Al Hamam, Doha
Stage: Primary
Students: Boys and girls
Phone: +974 4410 6707
Email: alhidaya-pgb@edu.gov.qa
The official directory lists this as a mixed primary specialised school.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Al Dafna
Location: Al Dafna, Doha
Stages: Primary, preparatory and secondary
Students: Girls
Phone: +974 4404 9299
Email: alhidaya-sg@edu.gov.qa
The Al Dafna branch provides specialised education for girls through primary, preparatory and secondary levels. It was still operating during the 2025–26 academic year.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Al Hilal
Location: Al Hilal, Doha
Stages: Primary, preparatory and secondary
Students: Boys
Phone: +974 4036 9877
Email: alhidaya-alhilal@edu.gov.qa
This boys’ branch was missing from the original article.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Al Sakhama
Location: Al Sakhama, Al Daayen Municipality
Stage: Primary
Students: Boys and girls
Phones: +974 4036 3828 or +974 6626 2768
Email: alhidaya-alsakhama@edu.gov.qa
The Al Sakhama branch is a mixed specialised primary school.
Al-Hidaya School for Special Needs — Al Thumama
Location: Al Thumama, Doha
Stage: Primary
Students: Boys and girls
Phone: +974 4499 6451
Email: AlHidaya-SN@edu.gov.qa
The Ministry’s directory lists Al Thumama as another mixed specialised primary school.
Hearing Education Complex — Girls
Location: Duhail, Doha
Stages: Primary, preparatory and secondary
Students: Girls
Phones: +974 4493 5141 or +974 4404 3600
Email: attarbia-g@edu.gov.qa
The Hearing Education Complex provides specialised education for students with hearing disabilities.
Hearing Education Complex — Boys
Location: Duhail, Doha
Stages: Primary, preparatory and secondary
Students: Boys
Phones: +974 4012 7304 or +974 4012 7300
Email: attarbia-b@edu.gov.qa
This is the boys’ section of the specialised hearing-education provision.
Al-Hidaya Specialised Kindergarten — Gharrafat Al Rayyan
Location: Gharrafat Al Rayyan, Al Rayyan Municipality
Stage: Kindergarten
Students: Boys and girls
Email: AlHidaya-SN@edu.gov.qa
This specialised kindergarten supports younger children, subject to Ministry assessment and placement.
Al-Hidaya Specialised Kindergarten — Al Thumama
Location: Al Thumama, Doha
Stage: Kindergarten
Students: Boys and girls
Email: AlHidaya-SN@edu.gov.qa
The official directory also lists a specialised kindergarten attached to the Al Thumama provision.
Contact details and school organisation can change. Parents should confirm the current branch, stage and placement route through the Ministry or Maaref before visiting.
Roa’a Center for Assessment, Counselling and Support
Roa’a Center operates under the Department of Special Education and Inclusive Education.
The centre was established in 2015 and conducts comprehensive educational assessments for new students with disabilities and students referred from schools. Its multidisciplinary team includes specialists in:
- Special education
- Speech and language
- Psychology
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational therapy
The assessment is used to identify the student’s educational and support needs and help determine an appropriate learning environment. Registration and placement are coordinated with the Ministry’s School Affairs Department, taking the child’s abilities, needs and geographic area into account.
How to reach Roa’a Center
Address:
Madinat Khalifa North
Zone 32
Building 5
Street 847
Landlines:
+974 4404 6161
+974 4404 6170
Hotline:
+974 3331 5769
These details are currently published on the Ministry’s special-education page.
The Ministry’s May 2026 electronic-registration announcement refers to accepted applicants attending an assessment at the Student Support Services Center. The permanent Ministry information page continues to identify Roa’a as its assessment, counselling and support centre. Parents should follow the appointment name and location shown in their Maaref notification rather than assuming every assessment takes place at the same building.
How the assessment and placement process works
For a new specialised government-school application, the current process generally involves:
Submit the online request
Use the Maaref Public Services Portal and choose the electronic registration service for students with disabilities.
Upload the initial evidence
Documents may include the child’s birth certificate, address evidence, health assessment and a recent approved medical report.
Ministry review
The specialist team reviews whether the application meets the referral conditions.
Receive an SMS decision
If the initial application is accepted, the parent receives instructions and an assessment appointment.
Attend the multidisciplinary assessment
The child’s communication, physical, behavioural, developmental and educational support needs may be evaluated by the relevant specialists.
Receive a placement decision
The Ministry identifies the most suitable setting, which may include:
- A mainstream classroom with support
- A resource room
- A specialised government school
- Another approved educational environment
The exact route is individualised. A diagnosis alone does not automatically determine one school placement.
MOEHE educational vouchers for Qatari students
The Ministry operates an enhanced educational-voucher system for eligible Qatari students with disabilities attending private schools that hold national accreditation.
The disability amounts are additional to Qatar’s general educational-voucher framework and are intended to reflect the type and intensity of services the student requires.
These vouchers are not unrestricted cash payments made directly to parents. They operate through the approved private-school voucher system and cover all or part of the eligible education costs through the participating school.
Who is eligible?
The enhanced disability-voucher service is for Qatari students assessed within one of six published categories:
- Multiple disabilities
- Hearing disabilities
- Physical and motor disabilities
- Visual impairment and blindness
- Intellectual disabilities and associated syndromes
- Autism spectrum disorder
The published list does not separately name every learning condition. Dyslexia, general learning difficulties, speech disorders or ADHD should not automatically be assumed to qualify for the enhanced voucher unless the Ministry confirms that the student meets an eligible category and support level.
The student must attend a private school participating in the nationally accredited voucher system. The general voucher rules also require evidence that the parents are not receiving an education allowance from their employer. Families should confirm whether any additional documentation applies to the disability-enhanced component.
How much is each voucher worth?
The total published annual amounts are:
- Support Level 1: QAR 43,000
- Support Level 2: QAR 53,000
- Support Level 3: QAR 78,000
The level is determined according to the type and intensity of educational and support services required—not simply the name of the diagnosis.
The Ministry does not officially label the levels only as “moderate,” “substantial” and “extensive” on its public announcement. It describes them as first, second and third support levels based on the nature and intensity of services needed.
The voucher may cover all or part of eligible school costs. Families remain responsible for any fees or services exceeding the approved amount unless another arrangement applies.
How to apply
The disability-voucher application is available through the Maaref Public Services Portal under services for students with disabilities.
A practical application route is:
Create or access a Maaref account
The portal allows parents to use existing Ministry education-system credentials or create a new account.
The current registration page requests:
- Valid Qatar ID number
- QID expiry date
- Email address
- Mobile number
The official pages reviewed do not state that a separate National Authentication System account is mandatory for this service.
Select the disability-voucher service
Choose Educational Vouchers for Qatari Students with Disabilities from the student and guardian services.
Complete the application
Provide the requested student, guardian, school, medical and educational information.
Book the assessment appointment
The voucher system allows the parent to choose an available interview or assessment appointment electronically.
The Ministry’s assessment team identifies the required services and the applicable support level.
Choose an eligible school
The parent may choose an appropriate private school from those holding national accreditation and participating in the voucher system.
The school must also be capable of meeting the child’s assessed needs. Voucher eligibility does not force a school to accept a student if it cannot safely provide the required provision.
Monitor the application
The Ministry stated when launching the service that applications would normally receive a response within three working days of receipt. This is an administrative response target, not a guarantee that assessment, school acceptance and final voucher activation will all be completed within three days.
Application dates for 2026–27
The date in the original article was used incorrectly.
The Ministry announced that:
- Applications and outstanding cases for the 2025–26 academic year closed at 11:00 am on March 26, 2026.
- New applications for the 2026–27 academic year opened at 8:00 am on April 12, 2026.
The Ministry’s announcement did not identify March 26 as a recurring annual deadline for future academic years.
Parents applying for 2026–27 should check the live Maaref service or call 155 to confirm whether the system is currently accepting new cases and whether any further deadline has been announced.
Options for expatriate families
The enhanced educational vouchers are restricted to eligible Qatari students. Expatriate families do not qualify simply because the child attends a private school or holds a Qatar residence permit.
However, expatriate families have several possible routes.
Mainstream private and international schools
Many licensed private schools provide some level of inclusion or learning support.
The availability and quality of provision vary substantially. Before applying, ask:
- Which disabilities and learning needs the school can support
- Whether it has a SEN coordinator or inclusion leader
- Whether learning-support teachers are employed
- Whether speech, occupational or behavioural therapy is available
- Maximum class size
- Support-staff ratios
- Whether a one-to-one learning assistant is required
- Who pays for additional support
- Whether the school creates an individual education plan
- Whether external therapy can take place on campus
- What would cause the school to decline or end placement
Do not rely only on a school saying it is “inclusive.” Ask for written details about the support available for your child’s specific needs.
Government-school applications
Expatriate children are not all automatically eligible for public-school placement.
Eligibility depends on Qatar’s government-school admission categories, geographic rules, documentation, capacity and the specialised assessment decision.
The Ministry’s 2026–27 registration circular allowed public-school applications for different nationality groups on scheduled dates. For students with disabilities, learning-difficulty and speech cases may be handled directly through schools, while certain disabilities are referred for specialist assessment.
An expatriate family should contact the Ministry or apply through Maaref rather than assuming either guaranteed eligibility or automatic exclusion.
Licensed educational-support centres
Qatar also has educational-service centres offering tutoring, learning support and other educational programmes.
Families can use the Ministry’s Where Is My Center service to search its list and interactive map of accredited educational centres.
Educational centres should not be confused with medical or rehabilitation clinics. Check:
- Which authority licenses the provider
- Qualifications of the specialists
- Whether it can issue reports accepted by the school or Ministry
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Fees and cancellation policies
- Whether the service is educational, therapeutic or medical
For clinical diagnosis and therapy, families may also need to work with licensed healthcare providers alongside the educational team.
FAQs
Who runs special needs education in Qatar?
The Department of Special Education and Inclusive Education at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education oversees public special education and inclusion services.
Its published contact number is +974 4404 5541. The general Ministry contact centre is 155.
Where do I get my child assessed?
For a specialised government-school or voucher application, start through the relevant Maaref service or follow the referral issued by the child’s school.
Roa’a Center for Assessment, Counselling and Support is located in Madinat Khalifa North, Zone 32, Building 5, Street 847.
Its numbers are:
- +974 4404 6161
- +974 4404 6170
- Hotline: +974 3331 5769
Do all children need a Roa’a assessment before applying?
No.
The 2026 specialised-registration service starts with an online application and supporting medical documents. Accepted cases are then scheduled for assessment.
Children with learning difficulties or speech disorders may initially be registered directly through schools, while specified disability categories are referred for specialist assessment.
How much are the special-needs educational vouchers worth?
The published annual totals are:
- QAR 43,000 for Support Level 1
- QAR 53,000 for Support Level 2
- QAR 78,000 for Support Level 3
The Ministry determines the level according to the type and intensity of educational services needed.
Can expatriate families receive the disability vouchers?
No. The enhanced educational-voucher service is for eligible Qatari students with disabilities attending nationally accredited private schools.
Expatriate families can pursue private-school inclusion, licensed support centres and any public-school placement for which the child meets the current eligibility requirements.
How do I apply for a voucher?
Use the Maaref Public Services Portal and choose the service for educational vouchers for Qatari students with disabilities.
The process includes application review, an assessment appointment, determination of the support level and selection of an eligible nationally accredited private school.
Do I need a National Authentication System account?
The current Maaref login page allows users to sign in using Ministry-system credentials or create a new account.
Its registration form requests a QID, QID expiry date, email address and mobile number. The official service pages reviewed do not list a separate NAS account as a mandatory requirement.
What was the March 26 voucher deadline?
March 26, 2026 was the closure date for outstanding applications for the 2025–26 academic year.
Applications for the 2026–27 academic year opened on April 12, 2026. Families should check Maaref or call 155 for the current closing date.
Which public specialised schools accept girls?
The current Ministry directory includes:
- Al-Hidaya, Dahl Al Hamam — mixed primary
- Al-Hidaya, Al Dafna — girls, primary through secondary
- Al-Hidaya, Al Sakhama — mixed primary
- Al-Hidaya, Al Thumama — mixed primary
- Hearing Education Complex in Duhail — separate girls’ section
- Al-Hidaya specialised kindergartens in Gharrafat Al Rayyan and Al Thumama — mixed
Placement remains subject to assessment, age, location and capacity.
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