CLOSE to a year after the office for registration of real estate for non-Qataris was set up at the Doha Municipality, it has yet to receive its first application.
Established to encourage expatriates to buy residential properties - both villas and apartments - last year, the office has not seen many inquiries by whom it is intended for, according to an official yesterday.
“But we hope to receive around 250 applications that have been forwarded to the Urban Planning and Development Authority for clearance in about a month’s time,” he explained.
A brochure in both Arabic and English, containing the terms, was supposed to be ready in “two weeks” when Gulf Times had contacted the office two months ago.
“We will have the information ready in English in two weeks,” the official reiterated again yesterday.
Based on usufruct visas, villas of no less than 400sqm and apartments of 75sqm in size can be purchased by interested parties on a leasehold period of 99 years that is renewable.
The areas are: Musheirib (Area 13), Freej Abdul Aziz (14), Doha Jadeed (15), Ghanim Al-Atiq (16), Al-Riffa, Al-Hitmi Al-Atiq (17), Salata (18), Bin Mehmood (22, 23), Rawdat Al-Khail (24), Al-Mansoura, Bin Dirham (25), Najma (26), Umm Ghwailina (27), Al-Khulaifat (28), Al-Sadd (38), Al-Mirqab Jadeed, Al-Nasr (39), area around Doha International Airport (48), Al-Qisar, Al-Dafna, Onaiza (60, 61, 63) and Lusail, Al-Khiraij, Jabl Thuailab (69, 70).
The prospective buyer will have to go to the office for the registration of real estate for non-Qataris located on the first floor of the Doha Municipality building in Al-Sadd, where the real estate section will first ensure that the property is indeed located in the areas as sanctioned by the law.
“After that we will take not more than a couple of days to register the property. The usufruct visa will have to be processed by the Ministry of Interior, which will take another three days. All in all, one week,” the official maintained.
A 12-page document, in Arabic, entitled ‘Special Conditions for the Office for the registration of real estate for non-Qataris’ can be obtained from the office, which enlists all the relevant laws and specifications usufruct properties must abide to, in addition to fees and other transactions.
Meanwhile, Gulf Times checked with the real estate developers offering leasehold properties around Doha and found out that prices are starting to come down slightly.
A two-bedroom apartment measuring 141sqm in the Najma area was priced at QR1,168,000, on July 3, 2008.
As of yesterday, the same agent said it was now available for QR1,050,000 and it can “further be adjusted and is negotiable”.
“And if you get turned down by the bank for mortgage, we will offer 15 years mortgage (8.8% interest) with 10% down payment. The keys could be yours in a day,” he said.
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