The Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS) data suggest that villa construction has seen increased interests, against apartments, in the capital city and other municipalities.

A total of 589 new building permits were issued in October compared to 361 in September. This increase has been rather due to return of normalcy as the previous month witnessed Eid Al Adha holidays break, lasting for ten days when all building permits services rendered by official agencies came to a halt, MDPS said, releasing the report.

The new building permits (residential and non-residential) constitute 62% (363 permits) of the total building permits issued in the country in October 2016, while the additions constituted 36% (210 permits) and fencing permits 3% (16 permits).

The monthly data comes under the joint co-operation between the MDPS and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to make use of the existing electronic link between the two ministries.

Al Da’ayen witnessed the maximum monthly expansion of 155%, followed by Umm Slal (100%), Wakrah (78%), Doha (72%), Al Khor (58%), Al Shamal (22%) and Rayyan (14%).

According to geographical distribution (on absolute terms), MDPS found that Doha topped among the municipalities with a total number of 146 building permits or 25% of the total, followed by Al Rayyan (including Sheehaniya) 132 permits (22%), Al Wakrah 103 permits (17%), Al Da'ayen 102 permits (17%), Umm Slal 54 permits (9%), Al Khor 41 permits (7%) and Al Shamal 11 permits (2%).

MDPS said villas’ permits topped the list, accounting for 56% (180 permits) of all new 324 residential buildings permits, followed by 'dwellings of housing loans' 36% (112 permits) and apartments buildings 6% (21 permits).

Industrial buildings (workshops and factories) were found to be in the forefront of non-residential buildings permits with them constituting 36% (14 permits), commercial buildings 31% (12 permits), mosques 21% (8 permits) and other non-residential buildings 8% (3 permits).

Doha witnessed 63 new residential building permits in October, which included 43 permits for villas, 15 for apartments and three for ‘dwellings of housing loans’ and Al Rayyan had seen 72 new residential permits, which comprised 34 villas and 35 'dwellings on housing loans'.

In the case of Al Wakrah, a total of 71 new permits were issued for residential purposes, which included 13 for villas, 54 for 'dwellings on housing loans' and four for apartments.

Al Da’ayen saw a total of 70 new residential buildings permits in October, of which 54 were for villas, 15 for apartments, 14 for 'dwellings on housing loans' and two for apartments.

Umm Slal saw a total of 33 new residential buildings permits in October, which included 25 for villas and eight for 'dwellings of housing loans' and Al Khor witnessed a total of 13 permits, of which 10 were for villas.