Trend: Qatar’s house price fell 16.91% y-o-y in Q2 2018
Qatar’s housing market remains depressed, amidst a sharp economic slowdown and the adverse impact of the diplomatic crisis. The nationwide real estate price index dropped 16.91% during the year to Q2 2018, from y-o-y declines of 9.65% in Q1 2018, 10.42% in Q4 2017, 3.47% in Q3 2017, and 4.52% in Q2 2017. Property prices fell by 6.62% q-o-q during the latest quarter.
Analysis: demand remains weak.
There were about 1,700 real estate transactions in Qatar in the first half of 2018, with a total value of QAR9.1 billion (US$2.5 billion). Doha accounted for almost half of the total transactions.
A new draft law for foreign real estate ownership is expected to buoy property demand in Qatar, as well as increase foreign direct investment.
Rents, rental yields: no yields data is available in Qatar.
Recent news. The economy is expected to grow by a modest 2.6% this year, from annual average growth of 2.1% in 2016-17, 4.2% during 2012-15, and 15.7% in 2008-11.
The quarrel between Qatar and the Saudi-dominated Gulf is worrying. Qatar's politics are more liberal, and this irritates the Saudis, who want to control the region on the model of their highly repressive regime. To date, there is no sign that either side will compromise.
