The Forum, spearheaded by the Qatari Real Estate Regulatory Authority, highlighted the industry’s growing role in the national economy and future development. Key discussions examined the impact of tourism and technological advancements on the sector.
The three-day Qatar Real Estate Forum kickstarted at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center on Sunday.
Spearheaded by the Qatari Real Estate Regulatory Authority, otherwise known as Aqarat, the forum is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The event began with Quranic recitation by Jaber Al Tamimi from Surah al Nahal, reminding listeners of the blessing of having a home as a place to rest. This was followed by a video highlighting the rich heritage within Qatar’s deserts, and the developmental progress it continues to make – as exemplified by the real estate strides within its city.
“Qatar is both a home and a country […where]in every building is a story,” the video’s narrator told the audience.
For his part, Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiya, Minister of Municipality: “There is no better forum to form a comprehensive picture of the real estate sector in Qatar.”
During his opening remarks, he also spoke about the establishment of Aqarat, as per the directive of the Amir of Qatar in 2023, to govern the industry, support it as well as create a strong and sustainable climate around it.
Al Attiya was joined by fellow ministers, including Ali Al Kuwari, Minister of Finance, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Subaie, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Minister of Justice and State Minister for Cabinet Affairs.
At the forum, the first panel discussion examined the role of national tourism in supporting the Qatari real estate industry. Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji, who was appointed Chairman of Qatar Tourism by an Amiri Decision in 2023, stressed how his country’s leadership recognises the importance of bolstering tourism for economic diversification away from reliance on the energy sectors.
“By 2030, we have to reach six million visitors a year and we have to increase our contribution to the GDP by 12%… And all these goals reflect directly on real estate and development in our country,” Al Kharji added.
He also said that there is a healthy relationship between Aqarat, noting the free flow of information and shared experience with Qatar Tourism.
CityScape Qatar
After Al Attiya’s opening remarks, the ribbon was jointly cut by officials to open the 12th edition of the CityScape Qatar exhibition, which is running concurrently with the forum. The ministers were given a tour of the exhibition grounds. The showcase highlights the array of investment or settling opportunities in the Gulf state.
Alongside Al Kharji, the panel also included Jason Liebman, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Auric Road, Oliver Ripley Founder and CEO of Habitas Group and Fettah Tamince Founder and Chairman of Rixos Hotels.
Tamince described Doha as poised to attract tourism, and eventually property investment, due to its world class infrastructures across sectors. “[Doha] is most probably one of the most safest cities in the world,” he also said while sharing an anecdote about being warned by colleagues not to wear expensive watches while in other cities.
“Without safety and security, I don’t think that even if there were initiatives [to attract investors], that a person would want to live in a country that doesn’t have these [strengths],” Khalid bin Ahmad Al-Obaidli, President of Aqarat, echoed during a separate discussion.
Sunday’s opening day also included panels unpacking the intersection between wider usage of technology and advancements in the industry as well as the national economy and the future growth of the Qatari real estate sector.
Informative workshops were also held on the sidelines. The first focused on AI-driven real estate data analysis and investment mapping. While the second real estate investment opportunities in Qatar, looking at project development stages, challenges, and strategic solutions, and concluded with a case study and discussion.
The three-day Qatar Real Estate Forum will conclude on Tuesday 15 October.
