Qatar home sales value jumps 43% to $1.62bn in Q3: Knight Frank 

The growth of Qatar’s real estate sector mirrors a broader trend across the Gulf Cooperation Council. Getty
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Updated 19 November 2025
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Qatar home sales value jumps 43% to $1.62bn in Q3: Knight Frank 

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.”


G7 countries to release oil reserves as IEA agrees to largest ever market intervention

Updated 11 March 2026
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G7 countries to release oil reserves as IEA agrees to largest ever market intervention

  • IEA recommends release of 400 million barrels

RIYADH: Germany, Japan and Austria will release part of their oil reserves after the International Energy Agency recommended the release of 400 million barrels of oil ‌from stockpiles, the largest ‌such move in IEA ​history.

In a statement, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said the flow of oil, gas and other commodities through the Strait of Hormuz have all but stopped, leading global energy supply to fall by around 20 percent.

Ahead of the confirmation of the move — a larger intervention than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in 2022 by in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — several countries began setting out plans to bring their reserves into play as countries grapple with ​soaring crude prices amid ​the US-Israeli war with Iran. 

Birol said: “I can now announce that IEA countries have decided to launch the largest ever release of emergency oil stocks in our agency's history. 

“IEA countries will be making 400 million barrels of oil available to the market to offset the supply lost through the effective closure of the strait.

“This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets.”

Germany’s Economy ⁠Minister ​Katherina Reiche ⁠confirmed on Wednesday her government plans to limit petrol price increases at filling stations to once a day and to introduce more stringent antitrust regulation of the sector.

She did not ⁠give an exact timing for ‌those measures, but added that ‌the US and ​Japan would be the ‌largest contributors to the release of the ‌oil reserves.

The US has not confirmed it would do so, but its Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News on Wednesday that “these are the kinds of moments that these reserves are used for.”

The announcements did not stop oil prices rising, with Brent crude up 3.26 percent to $90.66 a barrel at 4:29 p.m Saudi time, and West Texas Intermediate up 3.12 percent to $86.05. Both were some way below the $119 a barrel seen earlier in the week.

“The situation regarding oil supplies is tense, as the Strait of Hormuz is currently virtually impassable,” Germany’s Reiche said.

“We will comply with this request and ‌contribute our share, because Germany stands behind the IEA’s most important principle: mutual ⁠solidarity,” Reiche ⁠said about the IEA’s request.

According to a statement by Reiche’s ministry, Germany will contribute 2.64 million tonnes of oil. This corresponds to 19.51 million barrels.

Reiche stressed there was no supply shortage in the country, which has a legally mandated reserve of oil and oil products intended to cover 90 days’ demand.

South Korea will release 22.46 million ​barrels of oil, which represents 5.6 percent of the total IEA ask, the ⁠country's industry ministry said.

“The government will consult with the IEA ⁠secretariat on details, such ‌as ‌the ​timing ‌and amount, from ‌the perspective of national interests in accordance with domestic conditions,” ‌the ministry said in a statement.

The ⁠ministry ⁠said it would continue to coordinate closely with major countries in responding to high oil prices to minimise any domestic ​impact.

Austrian Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer said his country was releasing part of the emergency oil reserve and extending the national strategic gas reserve, adding: “One thing is clear: in a crisis, there must be no crisis winners at the expense of commuters and businesses.”

Acting ahead of the IEA move, G7 ​member Japan announced plans to release 15 days' worth of ‌private-sector oil reserves and one month's worth of state oil reserves.

“Rather than wait for formal IEA approval ‌of a coordinated international reserve release, Japan will act first to ease global energy market supply and demand, releasing reserves as early as the 16th of this month,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a broadcast statement.

Following a meeting with the IEA on Wednesday, G7 energy ministers said: “In principle, we support the implementation of proactive measures to address the situation, including the use of strategic reserves.”

All IEA member countries are required to keep 90 days’ worth of their nation’s oil use in reserve in case of global disruption.