Public Key Infrastructure

The Ministry of Interior (MOI) in the State of Qatar has established a robust Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to enhance digital security and facilitate secure electronic transactions across the nation. This PKI serves several critical functions:

• Secure Digital Identities: It provides unique digital identities for citizens, residents, and entities within the State of Qatar.
• Data Protection: The PKI safeguards sensitive data by employing digital certificates to encrypt and authenticate information.
• Digital Transformation: The ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive PKI ecosystem where every user in the country can securely participate in digital transactions, fostering a more efficient and interconnected digital society.

To support these objectives, the Ministry of Interior has established a secure on-premises data center that houses the core PKI components:

• QA MOI National Root CA: The foundation of the PKI hierarchy.

1. 1. Corporate and Individual CA: Issues digital certificates to individuals and organizations for digital authorization, contract signing, and other secure online activities.
   2. Timestamping CA: Issues certificates for timestamp authorities, enabling the secure generation of cryptographic timestamps to ensure the authenticity and integrity of digital documents and transactions.
   3. Infrastructure CA: Issues certificates to devices and applications within the MOI for secure communication and internal network operations.

• Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP): Enables real-time verification of certificate validity.
• Certificate Life Cycle Management (CLM): Ensures the secure and efficient management of certificates throughout their lifecycle, including issuance, renewal, revocation, and key management.
• Timestamping Authority: It ensures the authenticity and integrity of digital documents by providing secure cryptographic timestamps, proving that the document existed at a specific point in time

The Ministry of Interior plans to participate in the Adobe Root program to seamlessly integrate PKI-based digital signatures and document validation within the widely used Adobe Acrobat and Reader applications. This integration will enhance the user experience and promote wider adoption of digital signatures across various sectors in Qatar.

The Ministry of Interior PKI operates in strict adherence to all relevant legal and regulatory frameworks, including:

• National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA)
• National Information Assurance (NIA v2.1) standard
• National Data Classification policy v3.0
• Qatar Personal Data Privacy Protection Law (Law No. 13 of 2016)
• Cybercrime Prevention Law (Law No. 14 of 2014)