Qatar home sales value jumps 43% to $1.62bn in Q3: Knight Frank
Updated 19 November 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: Qatar’s residential real estate market logged 5.9 billion Qatari riyals ($1.62 billion) in home sales during the third quarter of 2025, a 43 percent jump from a year earlier, an analysis showed.
In its latest report, real estate consultant Knight Frank said overall sales values fell from 9 billion riyals in the second quarter, highlighting a moderation after a sharp surge earlier in the year.
Still, year-to-date residential transactions reached 197.4 billion riyals, underscoring continued momentum in the market.
The growth of Qatar’s real estate sector mirrors a broader trend across the Gulf Cooperation Council, where countries including Saudi Arabia are positioning themselves as business and tourism hubs under wider economic diversification plans.
Quarter on quarter, residential transaction value fell 34.4 percent in the July to September period.
Faisal Durrani, partner, head of research, Middle East and North Africa at Knight Frank, said: “While there has been a slowing in transactional activity during the third quarter, the underlying drivers for residential demand in Qatar remain robust.”
According to him, a key indicator for this is the reduction in the contribution of the construction sector to gross domestic product, which stood at 11.3 percent at the end of 2024; down from 13.4 percent in 2021.
He added: “The sector’s growth was catalyzed by $300bn in spending in the decade leading up the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but that is now abating, highlighting the diversified nature of the economy and that the drivers of growth and demand for real estate are shifting.”
Durrani noted that demand for residential real estate is concentrated in completed communities, or locations offering a waterfront or lifestyle-led environment.
He added that developers in Qatar are turning to incentives — including extended payment plans and property registration fee waivers — to sustain and stimulate demand.
Knight Frank said the total number of residential sales in Qatar rose 57 percent year on year in the third quarter to reach 1,682.
Doha dominated activity, recording 559 transactions worth 2.2 billion riyals, a 43 percent rise year on year.
Al Rayyan followed with 378 deals totalling 1.83 billion riyals in the third quarter, marking a 61 percent rise compared with the same period in 2024.
Al Daayen posted the strongest growth, with transaction volumes up 118 percent between July and September, supported in part by developer-led incentives in Lusail’s emerging precincts.
“Flexible payment plans, and government moves to boost home ownership and freehold investment are having a positive impact on the market,” said Adam Stewart, partner, head of Qatar at Knight Frank.
He added: “For instance, several new residential projects in Lusail are now offering seven-year, 0 percent instalments, while residency eligibility begins with property purchases of 730,000 riyals.”
Startups attract fresh capital to scale AI, health tech, and infrastructure
Updated 06 December 2025
Nour El-Shaeri
RIYADH: Startups across the Middle East and North Africa are accelerating growth through strategic funding rounds, partnerships, and technological innovation.
From agriculture tech and AI-led cybersecurity to digital health and home renovation, this week’s developments reflect the region’s expanding startup ecosystem and investor confidence across key verticals.
Saudi agritech startup Nabt has raised $3.4 million in a seed extension round, bringing its total funding to $5 million.
The round was led by SHG Group, with participation from Merak Capital and several angel investors, signaling strong investor confidence in the company’s long-term growth strategy.
The funding announcement took place during a signing ceremony at the Sunbola program event under the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture.
Founded to build both physical and digital infrastructure for the fresh-produce sector, Nabt connects farmers directly with commercial buyers through fulfillment centers that handle sorting, cold storage, and last-mile logistics.
The company recently launched the Nabt Online Auction to support large-scale produce trading across the Kingdom, and Nabt Intel, which provides real-time pricing and market-demand data.
CEO Abdullah Al-Otaibi said: “In just two years, Nabt has proven that building transparent and efficient infrastructure for fresh produce is not only possible but essential.”
The new capital will support expansion into additional Saudi cities and further develop Nabt’s infrastructure and services to boost food security and farmer profitability across the country.
COGNNA raises $9.2m
COGNNA, a Saudi cybersecurity company founded in 2022, has closed a $9.2 million series A round led by Impact46 and co-led by BNVT Capital, with participation from Vision Ventures and Tali Ventures.
The company offers AI-driven security operations tailored for enterprises and SMEs through its Agentic SOC platform.
Combining AI automation with human oversight, COGNNA’s platform helps organizations simplify compliance and proactively defend against cyber threats.
Chief Technology Officer Ziyad Al-Sheri stated: “Through our AI-led platform, we are building an Agentic SOC that doesn’t just respond to threats — it anticipates them.”
The funding will be used to accelerate global expansion, enhance R&D in AI automation, and scale operational teams and infrastructure to meet growing demand.
The company plans to allocate capital across product development, marketing, hiring, and international operations.
Funch raises $500k
Funch, a Dubai-based AI-native lunch subscription startup, has secured $500,000 in a pre-seed round led by Angelspark, with participation from investors including Mostafa Kandil, Mahesh Murthy, and Tushar F.
Founded in 2025 by Ahmad Joehnny and Ghada Zanaty, the platform offers flexible, credit-based lunch subscriptions for 19 Emirati dirhams per day with no delivery fees.
Founded in 2025 by Ahmad Joehnny and Ghada Zanaty, Funch offers flexible, credit-based lunch subscriptions with no delivery fees. (Supplied)
Funch replaces traditional meal plans with a system where users can pause, skip, or cancel orders while using credits only when meals are delivered.
“Our model is built around pre-planned orders, enabling us to operate with higher efficiency, reduce waste, and cut emissions with fewer trips,” said co-founder and chief operating officer Ghada Zanaty.
The company leverages AI to forecast demand, optimize routes, rotate menus, and streamline logistics, and will use the funding to scale across Dubai and develop its AI systems further.
Paymob teams up with Robusta
Egyptian fintech Paymob and software development firm Robusta Technology Group have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate digital transformation across Egypt and the wider region.
The collaboration will integrate Paymob’s digital payments infrastructure with Robusta’s AI-driven product development and analytics capabilities.
The joint initiative aims to deliver intelligent digital experiences for SMEs and enterprises, supporting Egypt’s Vision 2030 goals.
Both companies plan to expand regionally and develop future offerings combining automation, analytics, and seamless payment systems to improve operational efficiency for merchants and startups.
Reno raises $4m
UAE-based renovation technology platform Reno has raised $4 million in a mix of equity and debt funding.
The round included investments from Sanabil 500, Hub71, and Plus VC, as well as Zero 100 VC, FlyerOne Ventures, and Sandstorm VC. AngelSpark and Swiss Founders Fund also invested.
Founded in 2024 by Marc Michel, Amr Hosny, and Farah Karabeg, Reno offers a tech-enabled, end-to-end solution for interior design and renovation services in both residential and commercial sectors.
Reno aims to streamline the renovation process through a unified digital platform, allowing customers to manage projects from planning through execution.
The company plans to use the new capital to expand across the GCC region, enhance its technological infrastructure, and further develop its customer experience.
Glenwood PE and Mubadala invest in Korean desalination firm NanoH2O
Glenwood Private Equity and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, along with co-investors, have completed a co-investment in NanoH2O, a Seoul-based reverse osmosis membrane manufacturer previously operating as LG Water Solutions under LG Chem.
All closing conditions and regulatory approvals for the investment have been fulfilled.
NanoH2O, which became an independent entity in 2024, supplies desalination and brackish water treatment solutions to municipal and industrial clients worldwide. More than 95 percent of its revenue is generated outside South Korea.
“We have strong conviction in NanoH2O’s technology leadership and long-term growth potential,” said Mohamed Al-Badr, head of Asia at Mubadala.
The firm aims to support NanoH2O’s global expansion, particularly in the MENA region, amid growing concerns over water security and decarbonization.
