Better urban planning helps Qatar rewrite affordable housing narrative, says Al Asmakh official

Better urban planning helped Qatar rewrite its affordable housing narrative and avoid the trap of oversupply and commuter strain, as rental pressure eased up to 25–35% against 2014 benchmarks, according to a top official of Al Asmakh Real Estate Development Company.
“Stability, with selective rental uplift in under-supplied, well-connected communities,” Gaurav Borikar, Executive Director, Al Asmakh Real Estate Development Company, told Gulf Times when asked about the outlook of the Qatar’s realty sector.
Qatar’s residential real estate market is entering a mature, demand-led phase, marked by occupancy stability and clear pricing segmentation across submarkets.
While residential supply has expanded steadily since FIFA 2022, market absorption and tenant preferences are now defining performance, he said, adding rents remain aligned with affordability thresholds.With fewer large-scale launches ahead and a shift toward liveability, he said the market is now in optimisation mode; where asset quality, service delivery, and integrated amenities define long-term value.
Projects like Barwa Madinatna (with more than 6,700 units), Ezdan Oasis (8,700+ units), and the Ezdan Villages and surroundings across Al Wakra and Al Wukair (15,000+ units combined) didn’t just offer roofs; rather they offered residential ecosystems, according to him.
In this regard, he highlighted zoned districts for families and singles; schools, clinics, mosques, supermarkets — built in; road infrastructure connected to growth zones and industrial corridors.
Developments such as Barwa Madinatna, Ezdan Oasis, and Ezdan Villages, together serve a large portion of Qatar’s mid-income population, and are operating at more than 75% occupancy, he said. To Page 4