Doha: The legislative environment in the State of Qatar is important to reinforce the real estate sector and provide investors with reliable data to make informed investment decisions, said Chairman of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Aqarat), Khalid Ahmed Saleh Ahmed Al Obaidli. Al Obaidli was addressing the session on regulatory policies and real estate legislation within the third Qatar Real Estate Forum, convened Sunday in Doha under the motto: "Aqarat's Future".
According to Qatar News Agency, Al Obaidli stressed that the legislative and legal environment is a core pillar for domestic and foreign investors, highlighting that Aqarat has been seeking to operationalize all legislations in a short period following the updates it has conducted. He emphasized that this action would not have been possible without the energized efforts of partners from ministries and relevant authorities in the State of Qatar.
Aqarat has been exploring integration with chairpersons of Gulf real estate authorities to streamline these legislations for Gulf citizens and investors in all Gulf states, which would positively impact Gulf communities, Al Obaidli underlined. He also detailed key tools leveraged by Aqarat to foster transparency in the Qatari real estate sector, ensuring the confidence of investors and operators. Transparency, he noted, is crucial for informed decision-making.
Al Obaidli underscored the importance of having prolific information and data, ensuring easy accessibility to them, and stressed that they should be accurate and extracted from reliable sources. Aqarat has established an AI-powered real estate platform through which it publishes data related to sales, purchases, and mortgages, offering users direct prices for all accomplished real estate deals with this AI-powered tool.
He assured that Aqarat strives to have a platform that showcases all data more transparently, placing it directly in the hands of all stakeholders. Pertaining to urban development in Qatar, Al Obaidli pointed out that modern cities like Lusail City, The Pearl Qatar, and Msheireb Downtown Doha have maintained Qatari mores while providing a high quality of life.
On the AI role in the system of real estate registration, evaluation, and governance, Al Obaidli emphasized the importance of keeping up with technological advancements. He noted the existence of some real estate firms that spearhead model studies to leverage cutting-edge technologies in real estate operations.
Aqarat supports all startups and small- and medium-sized enterprises to showcase their products, with outstanding ventures potentially being adopted by Aqarat. Al Obaidli further affirmed the importance of Gulf integration in this field, noting that the meeting of GCC Real Estate Authorities explored avenues for cooperation and expertise sharing.
Meanwhile, CEO of the Real Estate General Authority in Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Saud Al Hammad, highlighted massive transformations in the Saudi real estate sector, particularly legislative reforms. The new system allowing non-Saudis to own real estate was announced, set to take effect in early 2026, marking a key investment pillar in the sector.
Al Hammad stressed that this new system is designed to augment investment targets, particularly in real estate. He assured that executive regulations and geographic scopes enabling this kind of ownership will be declared in the upcoming months.
Finally, both officials called upon investors to engage and invest in the domestic Gulf sector and the broader Gulf market amid the robust and transparent legislative environment in place.