Ministry of Justice explains freehold and usufruct ownership rights for non-Qataris

DOHA: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has clarified key differences between freehold ownership zones and 99 year usufruct zones available to non Qataris...

DOHA: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has clarified key differences between freehold ownership zones and 99-year usufruct zones available to non-Qataris, highlighting the legal frameworks governing real estate ownership and use in the State of Qatar.

The clarification was provided by Mohammed Hassan Al Rumaihi, Director of the Real Estate Registration Department at MoJ in an Al Rayyan TV programme recently.

Al Rumaihi explained that freehold ownership zones allow non-Qataris to own property with full ownership rights. In these designated areas, the owner has the right to dispose of the property, exploit it, sell it, lease it, or use it for residential or investment purposes without any time limitation.

This type of ownership is not restricted by a specific duration and grants the owner full legal authority over the property, within the limits of applicable laws.

In contrast, usufruct ownership grants non-Qataris the right to use and benefit from a property for a period of 99 years, with the possibility of renewal. Under this arrangement, the beneficiary may reside in the property, lease it, or otherwise benefit from it throughout the usufruct period.