The Ministry of Justice announced in issue No. 8 of the Official Gazette for the year 2024 a series of vital decisions and laws, including Law No. (5) of 2024 regulating real estate registration, aimed at improving registration services and enhancing legal procedures.
The law aims to facilitate citizens’ access to real estate registration services using the latest available technologies and internationally approved practices, contributing to the state’s investment attractiveness and developing the real estate sector as one of the main sectors of economic development.
Additionally, the law seeks to improve and regulate the quality of real estate registration services in line with the country’s comprehensive developments and to enhance future orientations for the real estate sector. It includes comprehensive amendments, such as providing electronic procedures and updating records and documents related to real estate.
An electronic platform has been established to facilitate the completion of registration procedures quickly and efficiently for citizens and companies, thereby enhancing transparency in real estate transactions.
The electronic system has the same legal validity as paper documents, making transactions easier and reducing bureaucracy.
The Real Estate Registration Department is considered the source of ownership according to what is documented in the real estate register. All relevant parties are notified of any transactions carried out under the law.
The new law also regulates how real estate records are updated periodically to ensure the accuracy of the information provided.
The law includes penalties to deter illegal practices and ensure the protection of property rights. It specifies strict penalties for anyone who attempts to register, transfer, change, or cancel any property rights illegally.
Article 48 of the law states that anyone involved in the illegal registration, alteration, or cancellation of property rights can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to 500,000 riyals, or either of these penalties.
This law is a major step in developing real estate registration services in Qatar. It represents a significant shift since the issuance of Law No. 14 of 1964, aiming to keep up with comprehensive developments in various real estate fields and to enhance the future directions of the real estate sector.
