Five expatriates owners of properties
"Abdullah Ibrahim al-Sada: dream homes for expatriates"
Doha Municipality yesterday introduced five beneficiaries of a programme allowing non-Qataris to buy residential properties on a renewable leasehold of 99 years in Qatar.
The scheme, backed by a decree issued in 2004 and a Cabinet decision in 2006, would allow the prospective buyers to stay in Qatar practically without a sponsor. The ownership of the property would move to the “first degree” inheritor in case of the owner’s death.
Abdullah Ibrahim al-Sada, the office director of Real Estate and Residential Units Registration for non-Qataris, told reporters that villas admeasuring at least 400sq m and apartments 75sq m could be bought by interested expatriates.
The official reiterated that under all circumstances, the Ministry of Interior’s approval was required and the State had the right to veto the process for security considerations. There was no preference on the basis of an applicant’s nationality.
The five buyers who were introduced included two Egyptians, an Iraqi, a Pakistani and an Indian. They have been issued “certificate of usufruct” approved by the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning.
They have bought properties in Al-Sadd (two of them) and Najma (three).
Applicants should provide a good conduct letter from their home country and a photocopy of the passport before referring the matter to the Ministry of Interior for approval.
The official said that the owners of property, if employed, can transfer their sponsorship with the consent of the current sponsor.
“If they are no more working and their sponsorship has been transferred,” the official said, “the expatriate owner of property will be exempted from an exit permit to leave the country.”
The two-year ban on return of expatriates also does not apply to the owners of property.
The areas where expatriates can buy property are: Musheirib, Freej Abdul Aziz, Doha Jadeed, Ghanim Al-Atiq, Al-Riffa, Al-Hitmi Al-Atiq, Salata, Bin Mehmood, Rawdat Al-Khail, Al-Mansoura, Bin Dirham, Najma, Umm Ghwailina, Al-Khulaifat, Al-Sadd, Al-Mirqab Jadeed, Al-Nasr, area around Doha International Airport, Al-Qisar, Al-Dafna, Onaiza and Lusail, Al-Khiraij, Jabl Thuailab.
Only properties in Al-Sadd and Najma area are available so far, “as the process of classifications have been concluded in these two areas only.”
Qatar Islamic Bank’s mortgage finance manager, Hassan Nammour, said his bank was the only one in the country which gave long-term loans to expatriates who wanted to buy properties.
Source: Gulf-tiems.com
My old thread related to this news: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/95933
