An aerial view of West Bay.
Qatar’s construction sector has maintained growth momentum so far this year. The trend in issuance of building permits in the country indicates the strength of the construction sector. Total building permit issuance has reached 3,766 during the first five months of this year, according to Planning and Statistics Authority data.
Building permit data assumes significance for measuring the economic expansion in an economy. The number of building permits issuance in the country is one of the important indicators of economic activity as it signals expansion or contraction in the construction sector. Industry experts keep a close tab on the trend in building permits as any increase in the issuance points to recovery in the construction sector.
The number of building permits issued in April by municipalities in Qatar stood at 677, data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority showed. The number of building permits issued in May by municipalities in Qatar stood at 645. According to geographical distribution, municipality of Al Rayyan topped the list of the municipalities with 167 permits issued (26 percent of the total issued permits), while municipality of Al Doha came in second place with 166 permits, i.e. 26 percent, followed by Al Wakrah municipality of with 136 permits, i.e.21 percent, then municipality of Al Da’ayen with 94 permits, i.e.15 percent.
The country witnessed issuance of 2,444 building permits during the first quarter of this year, reflecting a rise of around 13 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. During the fourth quarter of last year, which includes October, November and December, 2,159 building permits were issued according to the Planning and Statistics Authority.
In the first quarter, March saw the highest number of issuance of building permits during the first quarter. The number of building permits issued in March by municipalities in Qatar reached 988, data released by the Planning and Statistics Authority showed. February witnessed a dip as 697 building permits were issued during this month, the lowest value in the quarter. The number of building permits issued in January by municipalities in Qatar increased by 13 percent to 759, compared to the previous month.
Building permits and building completion certificates data is considered an indicator for the performance of the construction sector which in turn occupies a significant position in the national economy.
Despite facing several headwinds due to coronavirus pandemic outbreak, Qatar’s construction sector has staged a strong bounce back in 2021. As many as 9,500 building permits were issued last year.
