Qatar Announces Major Changes To Real Estate Laws
Qatar has announced changes to real estate laws in the country.
As well as introducing digital real estate registration for the first time, it is one of the biggest updates to property laws in Qatar for 60 years.
The Ministry of Justice affirmed that Law No. (5) of 2024 on real estate registration, which Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued, represents a qualitative leap in public services and introduces electronic registration for the first time.
Qatar real estate laws
The Ministry shed light on the Qatar law aimed at enhancing real estate registration services in a first-of-its-kind step since the issuance of law No. (14) of 1964, in line with the comprehensive development of the country in various real estate fields, and reinforces the future directions of the real estate sector, including facilitating citizens’ access to real estate registration services, according to the latest technological methods, and considering the best experiences and practices adopted in this sector.
It explained that, as part of the legislation update, the provisions of the new law were formulated in 55 articles, replacing the law that had been in force for about 60 years.
The update includes comprehensive and substantive amendments that would bring about a qualitative shift in the field of services provided to the public, including
- Real estate registration services
- Record-keeping
- Documentation
- Indices related to real estate registration
- Adjudication of applications submitted by interested parties for the registration of unregistered properties
- Objections
- Adjudication of ownership rights of unregistered properties and those expropriated for public benefit
- Organising the competencies of the Real Estate Registration Committee
- Procedures for updating real estate registry data
- Other amendments that prioritise flexibility and accommodate all aspects of the development witnessed by the state and Qatari society
The new law also takes into account public service and the real estate sector in general by facilitating transactions and reducing procedures, whether for the benefit of natural persons (individuals) or legal entities such as companies, and others.
The law stipulated the possibility of electronically conducting the real estate registration procedures provided for in the law, according to the regulations and procedures issued by the Minister, and the law provides that these electronic copies, procedures, requests, and transactions have the legal validity prescribed for paper originals.
To ensure the rights of citizens in Qatar, the law mandated the registration of all acts that would establish ownership rights, original real rights, transfer, change, or termination, as well as final judgements confirming these rights.
The law stipulates that the stakeholders be notified through their national address in all actions taken under the provisions of the law.
According to the law, the real estate registration administration, under the provisions of the law, is the evidence of ownership based on what is recorded in the real estate registry, according to the model prepared for this purpose.
The law also regulates the procedures for partitioning and unifying properties and the specified penalties for anyone who unlawfully registers, records an instrument for a property, arranges, transfers, changes, or cancels any real right thereon.
The law authorises reconciliation in offences prescribed before the initiation of litigation or during its consideration and before the final judgement, in exchange for paying the maximum fine prescribed and removing the causes of the violation.
