Al Rayyan last month topped the country’s municipalities in issuing building permits, according to figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and 
Statistics (MDPS) yesterday.
As per the MDPS list, as many as 188 permits (28%) were issued by Al Rayyan Municipality while Doha came second with 165 (23%) permits. 
Al Wakrah (109, 16%), Al Daayen (91, 14%), Umm Salal (56, 8%), Al Khor & Al Thakira (35, 5%), Al Shamal (20, 3%), and Al Sheehaniya (14, 2%) were next.
The figures indicate that approximately 55% (367) of the building permits issued were for new buildings (residential and non-residential) while 39% (258) were for making additions or extensions to the existing buildings. Approximately 6% (42) of the permits were for erecting fences. 
Among the permits for the new buildings, approximately 59% (192) were for villas while 34% (110) were for dwellings made of housing loans and 5% (18) were apartment buildings.
Among non-residential buildings, commercial buildings topped with 44% (18), industrial buildings (workshops and factories) constituted 27% (11). Approximately 20% (8) were for mosques and 10% (4 permits) for government buildings.
The number of building permits issued in March showed a 40% increase over the previous month’s figures. 
In Al Shamal, there was a 100% increase and in Doha the rise was nearly 90%. The increase in the other municipalities is: Al Daayen (72%), Rayyan (44%), Al Khor (32%), Umm Salal (6%), and Wakrah (4%). However, in Al Sheehaniya there was a fall of 18%.