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Frequently Asked Questions

Retirement Savings Plans

It is a plan Qatar Airways has set up to help you save money for your future and will significantly enhance your benefits package.
The ISP is only open to certain groups of employees of which you are a part of.
The end of service benefit (EOSB) that has accumulated since your date of joining Qatar Airways will be transferred into the ISP.

You have the option to join the ISP, and we believe that it would be a valuable addition to your benefits package. However, if you choose not to join, you can elect not to complete the joining form, and you will not be enrolled in the ISP.

If you are eligible, you will be invited to participate in the ISP. To join, you will need to complete a 'Joiners form' and send it to ispadmin@qatarairways.com.qa. The ISP team will be able to provide you with this form

For more information on the ISP, please see the Employee Guide and related documents available in the document library.

Yes. Should you wish to do so you will need to complete the ' Joining Form' and send it to ispadmin@qatarairways.com.qa by the first week of the selected joining month.

Only upon the successful completion of your probation will you be entitled to join the ISP.

Payments and Investments

You will be able to check your accumulated EOSB value through your account in PeopleX.
No, you will not lose the EOSB amount that has accumulated since your date of joining Qatar Airways. It will be transferred into the ISP. When you leave Qatar Airways’ employment, you are always guaranteed the value of your EOSB accumulated that you would have been entitled to receive at the time of leaving the employment of Qatar Airways if you have not joined the ISP.
Our contribution will start at the same time your own contribution starts.
Only members enrolled in the ISP will benefit from Qatar Airways' contributions into the ISP. The contribution is a percentage of your base salary and is based on your length of service. It starts at 12% for the first 5 years of service, increases to 13% for up to 10 years, and further increases to 15% for over 10 years.
You will be required to contribute at least 5% of your base salary and you can contribute up to a maximum of 15%.
No. All investment funds are in US Dollars.
Yes. However, if you request more than four (4) changes in a calendar year, then you may incur additional charges to cover the additional administrative cost which will be advised at the time of the request.
Yes. Once you have joined the ISP, we will provide you with access to the Plan Fund Centre where you will be able to switch and redirect your own investments.
Yes, the Sharia complaint option is available for ISP members
Qatar Airways will cover the cost to set-up and administer the Trust. For your individual investment, you can expect to pay a management fee related to the fund, plus a fixed monthly administration fee of just USD 10.
Yes, you can create your own investment strategy from the range of investment funds offered by the ISP – this is applicable only for your own contributions. However, employer contributions must be invested in one of the two default investment options.

Start using the new and enhanced Fund Center of the ISP for information on funds: Fund Centre

The Fund Center provides comprehensive information on available funds, allowing you to explore their investment strategies and performance.

Here’s how you can utilize the Fund Center:

  • Explore Funds: Choose any funds from the list and add them to your shortlist.
  • Analysis Tools: Use the Portfolio Scan or Comparison Report to analyze and compare the performance and key information of the selected funds.
  • Digital Factsheets: Click on a fund’s name to explore its digital factsheet.
  • Additional Resources: Check out the Information & Documents area for more resources.

Please note that the information provided by the Fund Center is just a starting point. For personalized advice and to ensure these funds align with your financial goals, it is recommended to consult your financial advisor.

The minimum amount an employee receives upon leaving will be equal to the End of Service Benefit (EoSB), and this calculation excludes any voluntary contributions.

We understand that making investment decisions can feel overwhelming, especially if you are new to it. To support you in managing your ISP investments, we provide a suite of user-friendly digital tools and resources through our online portal and mobile app. These platforms give you access to the new Fund Centre, where you can view detailed information about all available investment options for your personal contributions, including performance history, risk ratings, and fund objectives.

Additionally, you can use the Risk Profiler tool to understand your comfort level with investment risk, and learn more about the fundamentals of investing on our Smart Investor portal.

For company contributions by Qatar Airways, members can choose between a low-risk conventional or Shariah-compliant fund.

To help guide your decision-making, we offer interactive tools such as a retirement planner and rate of return calculator. Additionally, the ZIO app includes access to Nudge and Zogo, which provide tailored financial education to build your knowledge over time. Our Smart Investor portal also hosts written guides and short explainer videos on key investment concepts, perfect for building a solid foundation in investing and making more confident choices.

While we are unable to provide personalized financial advice or recommend specific funds, we encourage you to take advantage of these tools and resources to make informed decisions based on your goals and circumstances. If you need tailored advice beyond what’s available through our platform, you may wish to consult a licensed independent financial advisor.

Retirement, death, and leaving service

When you leave Qatar Airways’ employment

Once you retire, or if your leave Qatar Airways you have the following option:

  • You can take the full value of your ISP Account as a cash lump sum (subject to vesting rules on contributions made by Qatar Airways).
  • You may be able to transfer the full value of your ISP Account to another savings plan. This would be subject to the new plan accepting the transfer, trustee consent and local laws also permitting this option. This trustee may apply a charge for considering this option.
  • You may have the option to use your ISP Account balance to purchase an annuity from your preferred provider. An annuity offers regular payments, determined by the purchase amount, interest rate, annuity type, and your age and gender, upon your retirement.
  • Stay invested and manage your savings and investments with Zurich. You can choose full, partial, or regular withdrawals. By keeping your account, your vested policy value or final entitlement transfers seamlessly to your employee policy. A USD 10 monthly member fee will continue to apply.

Entitlement to employer contributions

You will be entitled to the relevant portion of your employer’s contributions to the ISP once you have completed the periods of service shown in the table below. This is known as your vesting period.

As you complete longer periods of service your entitlement to the percentage value of your employer contribution account will increase until you have the right to 100% of its value, although you will not be permitted to remove any value from the ISP until such time as you have left employment or meet the criteria set out in the ISP rules. The following vesting rules will apply:

Criteria Criteria Vesting entitlement
Less than 1 year of service 0% - you will not be entitled to any of the value of the employer contributions account if you leave service within 12 months of joining
1 to 5 years of service 75% of the value of the employer contributions account or your end of service benefit entitlement, whichever is greater
More than 5 years of service 100% of the value of the employer contributions account or your end of service benefit entitlement, whichever is greater
No.
In the unfortunate event of your death whilst you are still a member of the Plan, regardless of whether you are still employed by Qatar Airways or not, 101% of your employee account(s) and the value of your employer account to which you are entitled will become payable to your nominated beneficiaries. It is therefore important that you nominate your beneficiaries online via ZIO as doing so will assist Zurich and/or your Plan Trustee to identify who will be entitled to receive the benefit.
No, not during your employment with Qatar Airways. You can transfer the value of the ISP into other plans only after leaving employment with Qatar Airways.

Miscellaneous

The tax treatment of any contributions into and any benefits taken from the ISP will depend on your own personal circumstances. It is always advisable to consult your relevant financial professional if you are in any doubt as to the extent to which you may be liable to any tax under the ISP.
Your contributions and the Qatar Airways’ contributions will be suspended.
Zurich’s role is to support all members in the ISP whenever required, however, please note that they are not licensed to provide investment or other financial advice.

The ISP is structured as a Trust under the applicable laws of Isle of Man. The Isle of Man has established its own Insurance and Retirement Benefits Acts to ensure that authorised companies have sound and professional management, and that the interests of sponsors and their members are protected. Zurich is authorised under the Insurance Act 2008 to conduct long-term insurance business from the Isle of Man and is supervised by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority (IOMFSA). The Insurance Act requires senior management and controlling parties of insurance businesses to be fit and proper, and that the companies are financially sound.

The legislation is clear and comprehensive, and the reporting requirements it contains satisfy the IOMFSA's strict supervisory needs. All of these measures help to ensure the security of the ISP.

When Zurich has set up your ISP Account and your first contribution has been received, you will automatically receive a self-registration email. This email will include your username and details on how to log in to your ISP Account.

Zurich is incorporated in the Isle of Man and does not pay tax in the Isle of Man on capital gains and income attributable to plan holder investments. This means that your investment can grow from year to year virtually tax-free, taking advantage of an effect known as 'gross roll-up'. However, please note that there may be an element of withholding tax deducted from some income and dividends within certain funds that cannot be reclaimed.

All Trust Fees will be paid by Qatar Airways both during and after your employment. You will never be responsible for these fees.