Buying Property in Qatar: Legal Requirements for Foreigners

The Qatari real estate market

Over recent years Qatar has succeeded in creating a business-friendly environment and has become one of the region's principal business hubs and a major destination for individual and institutional investors. Market potential has developed further on the back of major construction projects. The construction market in Qatar is estimated at around USD 54 billion in 2026, with total active investment in the sector projected to exceed QAR 133 billion and the market expected to reach USD 66 billion by 2031, supported by energy and infrastructure projects under Qatar National Vision 2030.

With the issue of Council of Ministers Decision No. 28 of 2020, determining the areas in which non-Qataris may own and use real estate and the conditions, controls, benefits and procedures applicable to them, the Government introduced unprecedented reforms to the property ownership regime, giving non-Qataris the capacity to own and invest in the real estate sector for the first time. Residents who invest at least USD 1 million in real estate are granted permanent residency, which carries benefits such as access to healthcare and education and the ability to invest in certain commercial activities. Residents investing at least USD 200,000 are granted a renewable five-year residence permit.

Under Decision No. 28 of 2020, the property in which a non-Qatari may invest includes offices, commercial shops, units and villas in residential complexes, and real estate development of land in the designated areas. It is not confined to apartments and residential units, which means the sector is covered in its various components.

Freehold ownership

The decision opens promising avenues for foreign investors and Qatari nationals to enter strategic investment partnerships, including smaller investors who can now access the property market through investment funds. Freehold ownership is permitted in strategic, income-generating areas developed under the State's urban plan. Following Council of Ministers Decision No. 21 of 2026 amending certain provisions of Decision No. 28 of 2020, the freehold areas are:

West Bay (Legtaifiya), zone 66; The Pearl, zone 66; Al Khor Resort, zone 74; Al Dafna (administrative area), zones 60 and 61; Onaiza (administrative area), zone 63; Lusail, zone 69; Al Kharaij, zone 69; Jabal Thuaileb, zone 69; and the Simaisma Resort and Beach project, zone 70.

Usufruct rights

Given the attractiveness of these areas for residence and investment and the volume of applications from inside and outside the State, Decision No. 28 of 2020 designated 16 areas in which non-Qataris may hold a right of usufruct for a term of 99 years. The right is comparable to ownership, but with a distant expiry date and a lower entry cost. The usufruct areas are: Msheireb (zone 13), Fereej Abdel Aziz (14), Doha Al Jadeed (15), Al Ghanim Al Ateeq (16), Al Rifaa and Al Hitmi Al Ateeq (17), Al Salata (18), Fereej bin Mahmoud (22 and 23), Rawdat Al Khail (24), Al Mansoura and Fereej bin Dirham (25), Najma (26), Umm Ghuwailina (27), Al Khulaifat (28), Al Sadd (38), Al Mirqab Al Jadeed and Fereej Al Nasr (39), and the Doha International Airport area (48).

Outside the freehold and usufruct areas, a non-Qatari may own one separately demarcated residential unit in a residential complex, and may own demarcated units such as offices and shops in commercial complexes and malls.

The new benefits

The decision links permanent residency benefits to property ownership at moderate thresholds. There are two categories. First, where the property is purchased for not less than QAR 3,650,000, equivalent to USD 1 million, the owner or usufruct holder obtains property-based residency with permanent residency privileges, including healthcare and education, provided that residence in the State is not less than 90 days a year, whether continuous or intermittent. Second, where the value of the property or of the usufruct right is not less than QAR 730,000, equivalent to USD 200,000, the owner or usufruct holder obtains property-based residency on the same 90-day condition.

The residency granted to property owners and usufruct holders runs for five years and renews automatically on payment of the prescribed fees, for as long as the property or usufruct right is held. The holder of a property residency card may sponsor a spouse, children and parents, and may work for any entity in Qatar after obtaining a work permit.

Among the further benefits introduced is that the usufruct right granted to a non-Qatari does not lapse on the death of the beneficiary; it passes to the heirs. All services, purchase procedures, issue of title deeds and related privileges are delivered through a single window.

Owners and usufruct holders may deal freely with the property by way of sale, lease or investment. Where the property is vacant land, the owner must build on it within four years of the date the land is registered in his name.

There is no cap on the number of properties a foreigner may own in the freehold areas. Outside those areas, ownership is limited to one residential unit within residential complexes.

To facilitate procedures, the Ministry of Justice, in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, has opened offices at The Pearl and at Lusail providing the full range of purchase and sale services for properties, residential units and offices in the designated areas. These offices enable a title deed to be obtained in under an hour, and an automated system allows residency to be issued as soon as the ownership or usufruct procedures are completed.

Procedure for foreign ownership of property in Qatar

1. Select a property within a permitted area. Confirm that the property lies within one of the ownership or usufruct areas set out in Decision No. 28 of 2020 as amended by Decision No. 21 of 2026, by checking the property data, the zone number and the nature of the right available, whether freehold or usufruct.

2. Conduct legal due diligence. Verify the title of the seller or developer, confirm that there is no apparent dispute over the property, review any mortgage or encumbrance that may affect the purchase, confirm that the property is capable of registration, and review the payment and delivery terms.

3. Review the sale or usufruct contract. The contract should be drafted in precise, clear terms and should record the details of the seller and buyer, the description and location of the property, the price and method of payment, the delivery date, the mutual obligations of the parties, the agreed penalties for delay or breach, the party responsible for fees and expenses, and the mechanism for resolving any future dispute.

4. File the registration application with the Real Estate Registration Department. Article 6 of Decision No. 28 of 2020, as amended by Decision No. 21 of 2026, provides that the Real Estate Registration Department at the Ministry of Justice is responsible for registering ownership of property, usufruct rights and dispositions relating to them in accordance with the law. A contract between the parties is therefore not sufficient on its own; official registration must be completed for ownership or usufruct to be legally established.

5. Pay the fees and complete the requirements. Once the application is filed, the required fees are paid and the documents requested by the competent authority are submitted. The steps may vary according to the type of property and the disposition concerned.

6. Receive the title deed or evidence of the usufruct right. On completion of registration, the buyer or usufruct holder receives the official document evidencing the right.

This last step is the decisive point in any purchase of property in Qatar by a foreigner, because genuine legal protection begins with correct registration and not with an oral agreement, an advertisement or a payment receipt.

In conclusion, through this framework Qatar has entered a new phase of growth, development and modernisation, reflecting the vision of the State's leadership in building an advanced and prosperous society that remains open to the world.