With an apparent eye on the popular unrest that has swept the Middle East, the Qatari government has doubled the amount of home loans given to citizens at zero interest to QR1.2m (US$329,670) and extended the period of repayment to 37 years. The loans will be distributed through the state-owned Qatar Development Bank (QDB). A provision of QR5.2bn has been made in the 2011/12 budget (April 1st-March 31st) for this purpose. The concessions will mean that a borrower will have to pay no more than QR2,703 (US$743) a month on a loan of QR1.2m. The QDB's executive director, Mansoor Ibrahim al-Mahmoud, told reporters that loan applications would be processed on a fast-track basis and funds will be disbursed within four days. The announcement follows a similar move by the Saudi Arabian government, which in March raised the upper limit on home loans from US$80,000 to US$133,000.

The facility comes on top of a number of other benefits already being provided by the state to Qatari citizens including free education, free healthcare, free utilities and subsidised food. The vulnerable and the disadvantaged are entitled to free housing, while widows and the destitute are entitled to cash transfers, and the unemployed to job assistance stipends. The government has also earmarked QR25.2bn (US$6.9bn) in the 2011/12 budget for increasing the salaries and allowances of its employees.