Qatar’s emir has signed a new law requiring male Qataris between the ages of 18 to 35 to train with the country’s armed forces for three to four months.

Under the law, men must train in the military for at least three months if they are college graduates, and four months if they have high school diplomas or have dropped out of school. Those enrolled in university can delay conscription until after graduation.

Penalties for not enrolling in the national service programme include up to one year in jail and/or fines of QR20,000 ($5,492.4).

Those who fail to undertake the mandatory national service are also not eligible for jobs and will not be granted a licence to do business in Qatar.

Men currently employed would continue to receive their full salary while serving in the armed forces, and those without jobs would be paid during training. Training is expected to begin on 1 April.

In January, the UAE implemented similar legislation requiring Emirati men aged 18 to 30 to serve from nine months to two years in the military.