Guardian Middle East LLC
Guardian Middle East LLC is a Qatar Financial Centre-licensed entity (QFC Licence 03870) established on 21 August 2025 under QFC Law No. 7 of 2005. The Company is authorised to carry out accreditation and conformity evaluation activities (NACE code 6922-001) in or from the Qatar Financial Centre, with its registered office in Doha, Qatar.
Corporate Identity & QFC Licence
Legal Identity
Guardian Middle East LLC is a Limited Liability Company incorporated under QFC Law No. 7 of 2005 (the QFC Law) and the Regulations and Rules issued pursuant to that Law. The Company was incorporated by the QFC Companies Registration Office on 21 August 2025 with QFC Number 03870.
The Company’s Certificate of Incorporation, issued by the Companies Registration Office of the Qatar Financial Centre, confirms its status as a Limited Liability Company under QFC Law No. 7 of 2005 with the QFC Number 03870 (jointly referred to in Arabic as جارديان ميدل ايست ذ.م.م).
| Identity Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Legal Name (English) | Guardian Middle East LLC |
| Legal Name (Arabic) | جارديان ميدل ايست ذ.م.م |
| Legal Form | Limited Liability Company (LLC) |
| Governing Law | QFC Law No. 7 of 2005 (as amended) |
| Date of Incorporation | 21 August 2025 |
| QFC Number | 03870 |
| QFC Licence Number | 03870 |
| Issuing Authority | Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) |
| Licence Effective From | 21 August 2025 |
Regulated Activity (Part 1 — Permitted Activities)
Under Part 1 of the QFC Licence, Guardian Middle East LLC is authorised to carry on the following regulated activity:
6922-001 Accreditation — Accrediting and evaluating the conformity of a good or service to internationally recognized standards acceptable to the QFCA.
This activity classification is the foundation of Guardian’s regulated business in Qatar. All certification, attestation, and inspection-related representation activities conducted by Guardian Middle East LLC in or from the Qatar Financial Centre fall within this licensed scope.
Conditions and Restrictions (Part 2)
Under Part 2 of the QFC Licence, Guardian Middle East LLC may not carry on any of the following activities:
- Manpower supply and outsourcing, unless specifically licensed to conduct ‘Temporary Employment Agency Activities’.
- Arranging sponsorship and visas, unless specifically licensed.
- The supply of goods or hardware by way of business.
- Any activity that typically or primarily involves manual labour.
- Any activity classified as charitable by any law of the State of Qatar.
- Any regulated activity unless it has appropriate approval, no-objection, authorisation, or licence from QFCRA.
- Acting as a real estate agent or real estate broker.
These conditions are integral to the QFC Licence and are not relaxable. Any expansion of activity outside the regulated scope of Accreditation requires a Variation of Licence application to the QFC Authority through the Client Portal.
Registered Office & Operating Address
Registered Office: Office 121–122, Floor 1 Regus Business Centre, Building 67 Doha, Qatar This is the address registered with the QFC Companies Registration Office under QFC Number 03870.
Guardian Middle East LLC operates from its QFC-registered office in Doha, with field-audit and inspection activities conducted at client sites across the State of Qatar. Audit-team mobilisation, sample collection, document review, and on-site assessment activities are coordinated from the registered office.
Senior Executive Function & Governance
Pursuant to QFC Companies Regulations, Guardian Middle East LLC has a designated Senior Executive Function (SEF) responsible for the strategic direction and regulated activities of the firm. The SEF is named in the QFC Licence and is registered with the QFC Authority.
Governance Structure
- Senior Executive Function (SEF) — Pragyesh Kumar Singh. Strategic direction, regulated activity oversight, and primary contact with QFC Authority and the Companies Registration Office.
- Impartiality Committee — Independent of operational management. Oversight of impartiality risks per ISO/IEC 17021-1 §5.2 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents (notably MD 1, MD 4, MD 11). Read our Impartiality Policy to understand how independence is maintained. Further information is available in our Impartiality Statement.
- Quality Function — Custody of the Quality Manual, internal audit program, management review, and competency-management framework. Reports to the SEF and Impartiality Committee.
- Information Security Function — Custody of the Information Security Management System aligned with ISO/IEC 27001. Manages confidentiality of audit information and customer records under Qatar PDPPL Law 13/2016 and QFC Data Protection Regulations.
- Compliance / MLRO — Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Financing of Terrorism, KYC, beneficial-ownership reporting, and adherence to QFC AML/CFTR 2019 and Qatar AML Law No. 20 of 2019.
Meet our leadership team responsible for governance and regulated activity oversight.
Reporting & Compliance Obligations
As a QFC LLC, Guardian Middle East LLC reports to the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and the QFC Companies Registration Office (CRO) through the QFC Client Portal. The Company maintains a structured compliance calendar covering post-registration tasks, annual filings, ad-hoc event-driven submissions, data-protection obligations, and employment-related reporting.
|
Obligation Category |
Summary |
|
Post-Registration Tasks |
Client Portal access, Tax registration, initial annual fee, lease agreement filing, SEF Qatar ID and proof of residency, adoption of QFC’s Standard Conduct of Business policies, share certificate issuance, register maintenance. |
|
Annual Filings |
Annual fees (by 1 January), Annual Return (within 28 days of incorporation anniversary), Annual Financial Accounts (within 21 days of AGM), Annual Tax Return (within 6 months of accounting period end), Annual UBO Report. |
|
Ad-Hoc Submissions |
Share-capital alterations, allotments, controller-notice changes, director and SEF changes, AOA amendments, registered-office changes, name changes, financial-year changes, and other event-driven notifications. |
|
Data Protection (PDPPL & QFC DPR) |
Privacy notices issued at point of data collection, Data Subject rights requests responded to within 30 days, Personal Data Breach notification within 72 hours, Records of Processing Operations maintained. Details of how personal data is collected, processed, retained, and protected are provided in our Privacy Notice. |
|
AML / CFT |
Customer Due Diligence (CDD), Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) for higher-risk relationships, ongoing monitoring, beneficial-ownership identification under QFC General Rule 8A, suspicious-transaction reporting per Qatar AML Law No. 20 of 2019. Additional information regarding customer due diligence and regulatory obligations can be found in our AML/CFT Notice. |
|
Employment Regulations |
Bi-annual (January and July) employee-data submissions through the Client Portal, real-time updates on employment status changes, designated person in charge of employment and compliance matters. |
Relationship with Guardian Group Entities
Guardian Middle East LLC operates within a wider international group of accreditation and certification entities. The relevant relationships are disclosed below in the interests of transparency.
|
Entity |
Relationship to Guardian Middle East LLC |
|
Guardian Assessment Pvt Ltd |
Internationally accredited Certification Body (UAF, IAS). The QS Recognition Certificate (RB066-26) names Guardian Assessment Pvt Ltd as the Body Name and Guardian Middle East LLC as the Represented Entity in Qatar. ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 21001, 27001, 37001 certificates are issued by Guardian Assessment Pvt Ltd under its accreditation chain. |
|
TNV Global Limited (Partnership) |
Independent UAF-accredited Management System Certification Body and Inspection Body. Guardian Middle East LLC partners with TNV Global Limited under a non-exclusive arrangement. Guardian Middle East LLC acts as the authorised local representative in Qatar for TNV’s certification and inspection services across ISO 13485, ISO/IEC 27701, ISO/IEC 20000-1, ISO 50001, ISO 55001, ISO 41001, ISO/IEC 42001, and ISO/IEC 17020 inspection. |
|
Third-Party Certification Body (ISO 22301) |
ISO 22301 (Business Continuity) certification is delivered through a Third-Party CB accredited by IAS under MSCB 154. Guardian Middle East LLC acts as the local representative in Qatar for this scope only. |
View our complete accreditation chain. Per-page disclosures on individual standard pages reflect the specific accreditation chain that applies to that standard.
Activities Conducted in Qatar
Within the scope of QFC Licence 03870, Guardian Middle East LLC conducts the following activities in or from the Qatar Financial Centre:
- Client engagement and contracting for ISO certification, attestation, and inspection services. Service eligibility, contractual responsibilities, and engagement conditions are outlined in our Terms of Service.
- Application processing, customer due diligence (CDD/KYC), and admission of clients to the certification program.
- Audit-team coordination and mobilization to client sites across the State of Qatar. Learn how our certification process works from application to certificate issuance.
- Document review and pre-audit information collation in support of Stage 1 audits.
- Coordination of certification decisions and certificate issuance for accredited certificates issued by Guardian Assessment Pvt Ltd, TNV Global Limited, or the Third-Party CB (ISO 22301).
- Coordination of certification decisions and issuance of Guardian Approved Scheme certificates and ISO 26000 attestations.
- Surveillance audit coordination, recertification audit coordination, and ongoing client account management.
- Complaints, appeals, and dispute resolution in accordance with ISO/IEC 17021-1 §9.7 and §9.8.
- Bilingual reporting and certificate-issuance in English and Arabic, supporting QS-recognition requirements where applicable.
Out of scope under the licence: consultancy, advisory, training, gap analysis, internal audit services, system implementation, and any management or operational support to organizations seeking certification. These exclusions are mandatory under ISO/IEC 17021-1 §5.2 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents. Explore our certification portfolio for available standards and service scopes.
Documentation Maintained
The following documentation is maintained by Guardian Middle East LLC and is available to authorised parties upon request:
- Quality Manual aligned with ISO/IEC 17021-1 and applicable scheme requirements.
- Impartiality Risk Register maintained by the Impartiality Committee.
- Information Security Management System documentation aligned with ISO/IEC 27001.
- Privacy Notice and Records of Processing Operations under PDPPL Law 13/2016.
- AML/CFT policy and KYC records under QFC AML/CFTR 2019 and Qatar AML Law No. 20 of 2019.
- Beneficial Ownership Register under QFC General Rule 8A.
- Statutory registers (Shareholders, Beneficial Owners, Nominees, Charges) under the QFC Companies Regulations.
- Audit team competency records and personnel files for client-facing audit personnel.
- Certificate register of all accredited and Guardian Approved Scheme certificates issued, with current status.
Service Continuity & Information Security
Guardian Middle East LLC maintains continuity and information-security controls aligned with internationally recognised standards:
- Business Continuity Posture — Aligned with ISO 22301 principles, with documented continuity plans for audit-delivery, certificate-issuance, and complaints-handling functions.
- Information Security Posture — Aligned with ISO/IEC 27001 controls, including access controls, audit-information confidentiality, secure communication channels with auditors and clients, retention and disposal policies.
- Data Protection Posture — Aligned with PDPPL Law 13/2016 and QFC Data Protection Regulations. Privacy by design and default; lawful basis identified for each processing activity.
- Incident Response — Documented procedures for personal-data breaches (72-hour notification under QFC DPR), audit-information leakage, and operational disruption.
USE OF GUARDIAN AND ACCREDITATION MARKS
Certified organisations may use the Guardian Approved Mark and accreditation marks (QS and UAF/IAS) on documents, marketing, websites, and signage — subject to Guardian’s Use of Marks Policy.
Permitted: Letterhead, business cards, websites, brochures, vehicle livery, signage, presentations.
Prohibited: Product packaging, product labels, test/calibration certificates, use after suspension/withdrawal.
Full policy: → /use-of-marks/
COMPLAINTS & APPEALS
Guardian operates an independent complaints and appeals process compliant with ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015.
Full process: → /complaints-appeals/
Frequently Asked Questions
QFC Licence 03870 is the operating licence granted to Guardian Middle East LLC by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority on 21 August 2025. The licence authorises Guardian Middle East LLC to carry out the regulated activity of accrediting and evaluating the conformity of goods and services to internationally recognised standards in or from the Qatar Financial Centre.
QFC Licence 03870 is the operating licence granted to Guardian Middle East LLC by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority on 21 August 2025. The licence authorises Guardian Middle East LLC to carry out the regulated activity of accrediting and evaluating the conformity of goods and services to internationally recognised standards in or from the Qatar Financial Centre.
Guardian Middle East LLC was incorporated by the QFC Companies Registration Office on 21 August 2025 under QFC Law No. 7 of 2005. The QFC Licence to operate as a regulated entity took effect on the same date.
The regulated activity is classified as Accreditation under NACE code 6922-001: 'Accrediting and evaluating the conformity of a good or service to internationally recognised standards acceptable to the QFCA.' This is Guardian Middle East LLC's sole permitted regulated activity under the QFC Licence.
The registered office is Office 121–122, Floor 1, Regus Business Centre, Building 67, Doha, Qatar. This is the address registered with the QFC Companies Registration Office under QFC Number 03870. Field activities are coordinated from this office and conducted at client sites across Qatar.
Guardian Middle East LLC is regulated by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority (QFCA) and reports to the QFC Companies Registration Office (CRO). The firm's regulated activities are subject to QFC Companies Regulations, QFC Companies Rules, AML/CFTR 2019, QFC Data Protection Regulations, and the conditions of QFC Licence 03870.
Guardian Middle East LLC coordinates the certification process in Qatar. Accredited certificates are issued through the appropriate accreditation chain — Guardian Assessment Pvt Ltd (UAF/IAS), TNV Global Limited (UAF), or the Third-Party CB for ISO 22301 (IAS MSCB 154). Guardian Approved Scheme certificates are issued under Guardian's internal scheme procedures. Each certificate's issuing entity is shown on the certificate.
Yes. In compliance with QFC General Rule 8A and Qatar's anti-money laundering legislation, Guardian Middle East LLC maintains and reports a Beneficial Ownership Register, including identification, verification, and ongoing maintenance of beneficial-owner information. UBO reports are filed annually upon notice from the CRO.
Activities regulated under QFC Licence 03870 are conducted in or from the Qatar Financial Centre. Inspection services delivered under TNV Global Limited's UAF accreditation (ISO/IEC 17020) sit outside the QFC framework — Guardian Middle East LLC's role for inspection is limited to local representation and client coordination.
QFC-licensed entities are listed on the public QFC Public Register at qfc.qa. The QFC Licence (containing Parts 1 and 2 — Permitted Activities and Conditions/Restrictions) and Certificate of Incorporation are issued as digitally-signed official documents and can be validated through the QFC Public Register validation service.
Primary compliance frameworks include: QFC Companies Regulations and Rules; QFC AML/CFTR 2019 and Qatar AML Law No. 20 of 2019; QFC Data Protection Regulations and Qatar PDPPL Law 13/2016; QFC General Rule 8A on Beneficial Ownership; ISO/IEC 17021-1 (certification body requirements); ISO/IEC 27001-aligned information security; and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents.
Within the scope of the QFC Licence, Guardian Middle East LLC's regulated activity is conducted in or from the Qatar Financial Centre. Clients seeking certification for activities physically located outside Qatar should contact us — eligibility is assessed case-by-case, considering the appropriate accreditation chain, applicable regulatory frameworks, and the IAF accreditation territoriality framework.
Pragyesh Kumar Singh is the registered Senior Executive Function (SEF) of Guardian Middle East LLC, named in QFC Licence 03870 and reported to the QFC Companies Registration Office. The SEF is the primary contact for the QFC Authority on matters affecting the regulated activities of the firm.
No. Guardian Middle East LLC is a third-party certification body. Under ISO/IEC 17021-1 §5.2 and applicable IAF Mandatory Documents, certification bodies must be impartial. Consultancy, advisory, training, gap analysis, internal audit, and implementation services to clients seeking certification are categorically prohibited. Clients requiring such services should engage independent consultants outside Guardian's certification engagement.