Qatar Prepares For Upcoming Mega-Events, Issues Holiday Homes Regulations

PROPERTY OWNERS AND OTHER PERMITTED OPERATORS MAY SOON BE ABLE TO LIST THEIR UNITS ON SHORT-STAY BOOKING SERVICES LIKE AIRBNB AND BOOKING.COM, SUBJECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS SET OUT IN THE REGULATIONS.

With the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 weeks away and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on the horizon, Qatar Tourism has issued new regulations formalising the short-stay rental ("Holiday Homes") activity in the local market.

This codification of the Holiday Home industry may have a wide reaching impact on the Qatari market. Property owners and operators are now encouraged to open up their units to short-stay bookings, providing a new revenue stream separate from the typical one-year residential lease. Holiday Homes will provide much-needed additional supply of accommodation for the country's upcoming mega-events, especially in late 2022, when Qatar is expecting hundreds of thousands of international visitors. A Holiday Homes eco-system may emerge, with commercial