His Excellency Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah issued a decision amending certain provisions of Ministerial Decision No. (7) of 1989 concerning architectural requirements and technical specifications for buildings.The amendments include more than 20 new updates to the regulations governing residential villas and palaces, enhancing construction flexibility and residential expansion, meeting the needs of Qatari families, and keeping pace with modern urban development.The Ministry of Municipality said on Sunday that the amendments were introduced in response to the current and future needs of citizens to provide more flexible options for designing and developing homes while preserving family privacy, maintaining the quality of the urban environment, and safeguarding the country's architectural identity.The Ministry explained that these amendments represent one of the most extensive reviews of residential villa and palace requirements in recent years after a comprehensive study of citizens’ needs and the challenges associated with residential construction, contributing to greater family stability and the optimal use of residential plots.The updates included increasing the maximum height of residential villas to 16 meters, including the penthouse/roof structure, updating palace height limits to range between 17 and 25 meters, depending on the size of the plot and the approved architectural elements, and introducing, for the first time, the possibility of constructing one internal mezzanine floor in villas and palaces.The new regulations also allow the ground floor of a villa to be extended up to the neighboring property boundary, subject to specific controls. They further permit first-floor extensions above the external majlis (guest reception hall) or annexes, as well as the creation of an independent internal suite for a family member.The amendments include permitting an increase in the height of the external majlis to between 7.5 and 10 meters, with the option of adding a mezzanine floor. They also allow the addition of a first floor to an external annex with a height of up to 7.5 meters. In addition, the regulations permit the construction of a separate internal service staircase for domestic workers and maintenance activities.As part of maximizing the efficient use of residential plots, the amendments reduce several architectural setback requirements. This allows the first floor of a villa to project up to 2 meters into the front setback area and reduces side and rear setbacks in accordance with carefully considered planning controls. The amendments also permit decorative architectural projections for villas and palaces.The updated regulations also take into account privacy and quality of life requirements by raising the maximum height of villa walls to 3.40 meters and palace walls to 5 meters, and allowing the installation of mail and order boxes on the exterior walls of residences according to specific technical specifications.The Ministry of Municipality confirmed that the new regulations will be applied uniformly across all municipalities, ensuring standardized planning and architectural procedures and criteria nationwide. It noted that the regulations will come into effect from the date of publication of the decision in the Official Gazette.The Ministry added that it will organize an introductory workshop for consultants and specialized engineering firms to review the new updates, explain their implementation mechanisms, and answer technical inquiries. This will ensure the optimal application of the regulations and the achievement of their objectives, supporting quality of life and urban sustainability, in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030.