In April 2024, Doha, Qatar saw a significant increase in inbound visitors, reaching about 382 thousand. This marks an annual increase of 17.9% compared to April 2023, and a monthly increase of 16.3% compared to March 2024. The majority of visitors came from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), accounting for 42% of the total. Air travel was the most common way visitors arrived, making up 55% of the total number of visitors.
The latest issue of the “Qatar; Monthly Statistics” bulletin also revealed a decrease in the total number and values of properties sold in April 2024, with a monthly rate of 25.0% and 15.9%, respectively, compared to March 2024. However, the total number of building permits saw an annual increase of 21.7%, despite a monthly decrease of 37.6% in April 2024. Additionally, the total number of registered new vehicles in April 2024 reached 7011, showing a monthly decrease of 10.5% but an annual increase of 2.9%.
In terms of traffic accidents, 762 cases were recorded in April 2024, showing a monthly decrease of 5.2% and an annual decrease of 2.2%. While the majority of cases involved light injuries (93%), there were also severe injuries (6%) and a total of 10 deaths, making up only 1% of the total traffic accidents. Vital statistics revealed 2496 live births and 221 deaths in April 2024, with an increase in Qatari live births by 17.7% compared to the previous month.
Marriage and divorce rates also saw fluctuations in April 2024, with a monthly increase of 1.9% in total marriage contracts and a monthly decrease of 13.7% in total divorce certificates. The total number of marriage contracts was 328, while the total number of divorce certificates reached 120 cases. The bulletin also noted a monthly decrease in the total net tonnage of vessels by 29.9% in April 2024 compared to the previous month.
In terms of social security, QR 78 million was distributed to 14,407 beneficiaries in April 2024, marking a monthly increase of 0.6% for the value of social security and 0.2% for the number of beneficiaries. In the banking sector, the Total Broad Money Supply (M2) recorded about QR 736 billion during April 2024, showing an annual increase of 5.7% compared to April 2023. Additionally, cash equivalents, including Commercial Bank Deposits, reached QR 1025 billion in April 2024, with an annual increase of 6.3% compared to the previous year.