HE the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipality Eng. Ali bin Mohammed al-Ali has spoken on the latest updated requirements regarding the villas and mansions of citizens Qatar.
He told the Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the updated planning and architectural requirements for residential villas and mansions were introduced in response to the needs of Qatari families and the social and urban transformations witnessed by the State in recent years.
The updates, HE al-Ali said, provide greater flexibility in design and construction, enhance family stability, ensure the optimal utilisation of land, and preserve the quality of the urban environment and the residential identity of neighbourhoods.
He added that the updates were based on an extensive study and periodic reviews of the comprehensive master plan approved in 2018, in addition to feedback from citizens, consultancy offices, and relevant authorities.
The objective, the official shared, is to keep up with state-of-the-art construction and development practices while meeting the current and future needs of society, noting that the updates are in sync with the objectives of
Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), which strives to achieve sustainable urban development and improve quality of life.
HE al-Ali pointed out that the new updates encompass more than 20 standards reflecting a realistic understanding of changes in family size and modern lifestyles.
He said that the new requirements allow expansion through several options, foremost of which are expanding the ground floor without setbacks on the neighbouring or rear side, expanding above accessory buildings or detached Majlis structures, and providing an internal suite within the villa.
The official added that allowing the establishment of an independent internal suite for a family member is intended to strengthen tight-knit families and enable members of the extended family to reside within the same building while maintaining an appropriate degree of privacy and independence.
The measure, HE al-Ali continued, also provides “practical solutions” for the needs of children and senior family members within a unified and harmonious residential setting.
He affirmed that the permitted height of residential villas has been increased to 16m, while an internal mezzanine floor with a coverage ratio of 35% has been rolled out for the first time.
The height of Majlis buildings has also been increased to 10m, the official highlighted, including the workshop level, with the addition of a mezzanine floor permitted at a coverage ratio of up to 80%.
These measures, he added, provide designers and developers with greater flexibility to meet family needs and achieve the optimal utilisation of land.
HE al-Ali noted that the updates concerning mansions include elevating building heights to range between 17-22m where designs do not include domes or architectural elements, and between 20-25m as a maximum where such features are included, depending on plot size.
The regulations, he said, also permit the addition of an internal mezzanine floor with a coverage ratio not exceeding 35% in accordance with approved planning and regulatory requirements.
The official stressed that the amendments seek to strike a balance between granting citizens greater flexibility in construction and preserving residential privacy and the quality of the urban environment through clear planning and architectural controls that ensure no adverse impact on neighbouring properties or the broader urban landscape.
HE al-Ali said that the updates include reducing side and rear setbacks to 1.5m where no windows are provided, while permitting windows within those setbacks provided their height is not less than 1.8m.
The height of villa boundary walls has also been increased to 3.4m.
The updates further included examining a number of setbacks and requirements related to buildings, accessory structures, and Majlis structures, the official noted, emphasising that this will allow better utilisation of the available space within residential plots.
Among the most notable measures is the permission of a 2m front projection for the first floor and roof level, in addition to reducing the front setback requirement for 50% of the roof-floor facade length to zero metres.
HE al-Ali His stressed that the benefits of the newly introduced standards are available to all properties, whether construction has already been completed, remains under development, or is still at the licensing stage.
Property owners, he said, may submit development or modification applications through accredited engineering consultancy offices via the artificial intelligence (AI)-supported electronic building permit system, where applications are vetted and evaluated in accordance with approved regulations and procedures before the issuance of the necessary permits.
HE al-Ali asserted that the updates will play a pivotal role in developing a sustainable urban environment that responds to community needs and supports the stability of the Qatari family, while also fostering the efficiency of land utilisation and provide more suitable housing options.