Qatar records 527 building permits issued in December: PSA

Qatar witnessed as many as 527 building permits issued in December 2022 with Al Wakra, Doha and Al Rayyan municipalities constituting about 70% of the total, according to the official data.Doha and Al Shamal reported an increase in the building permits issued on an annualised basis in December 2022 even as the total permits issued in the country were on the decline, according to figures released by the Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).The total building permits however fell 21.6% and 18% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in the review period.Total building permits issued in Al Shamal and Doha saw a 20% and 12.6% surge on a yearly basis; while those issued in Al Rayyan plummeted 41.4%, Al Khor (32.1%), Al Wakra (23.1%), Al Shahaniya (21.7%) and Umm Slal (15.6%).The building permits data is of particular importance as it is considered an indicator for the performance of the construction sector, which in turn occupies a significant position in the national economy.Of the total number of new building permits issued, Al Wakra constituted 130 permits or 25% of the total, followed by Doha 125 (24%), Al Rayyan 109 (21%), Umm Slal 38 (7%), Al Khor 19 (4%), Al Shahaniya 18 (3%) and Al Shamal 12 (2%).On a monthly basis, the total building permits issued in Al Rayyan witnessed a 47% plunge, Al Khor (37%), Al Shamal (25%), Doha (20%) and Al Daayen (3%); even as those issued in Um Slal zoomed 36%, Al Wakra (16%) and Al Shahaniya (6%).The new building permits (residential and non-residential) constituted 213 permits or 40% of the total building permits issued in December 2022, additions 296 (56%) and fencing 18 (3%).Of the new residential buildings permits, villas topped the list, accounting for 83% (120 permits), apartments 11% (16) and dwellings of housing loans 5% (seven).Among the non-residential sector, commercial structures accounted for 51% or 35 permits, the industrial buildings as workshops and factories 31% (21 permits) and governmental buildings 6% (four permits).Qatar saw a 13.1% year-on-year expansion in the total building completion certificates issued in December 2022 with Al Shahaniya registering 800% growth, Al Shamal (42.9%), Al Daayen (41.8%), Al Rayyan (32.4%), Al Wakra (23.3%) and Al Khor (12.5%); whereas those issued in Umm Slal and Doha declined 36.7% and 30.4% respectively.Qatar saw a total of 337 building completion certificates issued in December 2022, of which 243 or 72% was for the new buildings (residential and non-residential) and 94 or 28% for additions.Geographically, Al Rayyan constituted 90 certificates or 27% of the total number of new building completion certificates issued in the review period, followed by Al Daayen 23% or 78, Al Wakra 22% or 74, Doha 14% or 48, Umm Slal 6% or 19, Al Shamal 3% or 10, and Al Khor and Al Shahaniya 3% or nine each.Of the 192 residential buildings completion certificates issued, as many as 164 or 85% were for villas, 14 or 7% for apartments and eight or 4% for dwellings of housing loans.Of the 164 villas completion certificates issued in December 2022, as many as 52 were in Al Rayyan, 42 in Al Daayen, 32 in Al Wakra, 13 in Umm Slal, nine each in Doha and Al Shamal, six in Al Daayen and one in Al Shahaniya.In the case of 14 apartments, Doha issued eight completion certificates, Al Wakra and Al Daayen (two each) and Al Rayyan and Al Khor (one each).