Four banks, one faith framework, and four very different disclosure philosophies. That is the honest summary of Qatari home finance in 2026. This comparison uses only what QIB, Dukhan Bank, AlRayan Bank and QIIB publish themselves, crawled August 4, 2026. Where a bank hides a number, we say so, because the gaps are as informative as the figures.
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The headline terms
| QIB | Dukhan Bank | AlRayan Bank | QIIB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max financing | 70% of property value | Not published | 80% Qatari / 75% resident, non-resident (QCB caps) | 80% of property value |
| Max term | 30 yrs Qatari / 25 yrs expat | 15 years | Not published | 360 months |
| Published rate | None | None (floating, QCB-linked) | QMRO + 1.50% or + 1.25% (5.85% / 5.60% at Aug 2026); promo 3.50% first 2 yrs | None |
| Contract named on page | No (FAQ describes Murabaha pattern) | Yes: Ijara, fully explained | No (Murabaha and Tawarruq master agreements published) | No (bank-wide contract library published) |
| Non-residents | Yes, from 40% down | No, cash only | Yes, up to 75% | Not addressed on page |
| Life Takaful | Complimentary | Required, cost not quantified | Up to 0.062% monthly per tariff | Not specified |
QIB: the eligibility matrix champion
Qatar's largest Islamic bank (QAR 221.1 billion in assets and a record QAR 4,835 million profit in FY2025) publishes the clearest borrower-class terms in the market. Qatari nationals: from 20% down, minimum salary QAR 10,000, instalments capped at 75% of basic salary plus social allowance, ages 18 to 66, terms to 30 years. Residents: 25% down, minimum salary QAR 20,000, instalment cap at 50% of total salary, ages 21 to 60, terms to 25 years, and a calculator ceiling of QAR 3.5 million including profit. Non-residents: from 40% down with foreign address proof. The package includes complimentary life Takaful, a grace period of up to 12 months for emergencies, and buyouts of financing from other banks. What QIB does not publish is any profit rate. Its pages promise a competitive rate and leave the number to the application. Two property valuations from QIB-accredited companies come at your expense, and your employer must be on QIB's approved list.
Dukhan Bank: the structure teacher
Dukhan is the only Qatari bank that explains its home finance contract in public. Its Constructed Properties Finance FAQ walks through the Ijara mortgage: the purchaser assigns ownership rights to the bank, signs an Ijara agreement, pays rent rather than interest, and at the end of the term (up to 15 years) the bank sells the property for a nominal amount. The assignment is notarised at the Ministry of Justice, which makes the bank's ownership legally substantive rather than decorative, precisely the point stricter scholars press on lease-based products. The trade-offs are practical: 15 years is the shortest maximum term in the market, which raises monthly payments materially against a 25 or 30-year alternative, pricing floats on QCB-linked benchmarks with no figures published, and non-residents are excluded entirely. Dukhan also fields the market's only large self-build product, construction finance to QAR 7.5 million for Qataris and GCC nationals resident in Qatar.
AlRayan Bank: the price publisher
AlRayan is the transparency benchmark on price. Salary-backed home financing follows a published formula: QMRO/N Lending plus 1.50% for retail customers (salary QAR 10,000 to 34,999) or plus 1.25% for Premier customers (QAR 35,000 and up). With the QMRO benchmark at 4.35% effective December 11, 2025, you can compute 5.85% or 5.60% per annum before speaking to anyone. The fee schedule is public too: 1% feasibility, QAR 500 documentation, 1% early settlement, property Takaful up to 0.08% annually and life Takaful up to 0.062% monthly. Late payments incur a QAR 100 charity-routed donation rather than penalty income. Through August 31, 2026 it is also running a 3.50% APR promotion for the first two years on financings of QAR 1 million or more with a salary-month cashback capped at QAR 100,000, subject to a three-year retention undertaking with full clawback. The gap: the home finance page never names the property contract, and the published master agreements are commodity Murabaha and Tawarruq templates, so ask for the actual contract at application.
QIIB: the leverage leader
QIIB's mortgage runs to 80% of property value over 360 months, both the highest LTV and longest stated term in Qatari home finance. It covers purchase, construction and renovation, serves private residences and investment property, and, uniquely, accepts monthly salaries and/or rental income as qualifying income, which matters if you are building a rental portfolio in Lusail or The Pearl. Minimum age is 18 for Qataris and 21 for expats. The disclosure gap is the mirror image of QIB's: no rate, no salary floors, no borrower-class matrix, no online calculator. Everything is quoted in-branch. Buyouts from other banks need a liability letter and six months of statements.
How the numbers interact: a worked contrast
Consider a resident buying a QAR 2 million apartment. At QIB, 25% down means QAR 500,000 of equity and financing of QAR 1.5 million, within its QAR 3.5 million cap, over up to 25 years, at an unpublished rate. At QIIB, 20% down (QAR 400,000) with 30 years to repay, at an unpublished rate. At AlRayan, 25% down and a computable 5.85% (or 5.60% for a QAR 35,000+ salary), or 3.50% for the first two years under the promotion. At Dukhan, the same purchase must amortise within 15 years, so the monthly rent will run far higher even at an identical rate. Our QAR 2 million cost breakdown puts full numbers on this.
Which bank for which buyer
- Structure-first buyers who want documented, legally substantive Ijara: Dukhan Bank, accepting the 15-year term.
- Price-first buyers who want a computable rate and published fees: AlRayan Bank, especially with salary transfer.
- Maximum leverage or rental-income qualification: QIIB, after extracting a written rate quote.
- Buyers who value published eligibility rules, free life Takaful and a 12-month grace period: QIB.
- Non-residents: AlRayan (75%) or QIB (from 40% down); Dukhan is cash-only for this class.
- Self-builders: Dukhan's QAR 7.5 million construction finance or QIIB's construction scope; see our construction finance guide.
Whichever way you lean, get all four quotes in writing with an as-of date. Only one bank prints its price, and the other three know it. Start from our home financing page or get matched with providers that fit your profile.
Frequently asked questions
Do all four banks have real Shariah oversight?
Yes, and with overlapping personnel. QIB's board comprises Sheikh Walid Bin Hadi (chairman), Sheikh Dr. Abdulaziz Khalifa Al-Qasar and Dr. Mohamad Ahmaine. QIIB's Sharia committee features the same chairman. AlRayan's three-scholar board is also chaired by Sheikh Dr. Waleed Bin Hadi, and Dukhan runs a three-scholar Shariah and Fatwa Advisory Board whose decisions bind the bank. All four institutions are fully Islamic with no conventional windows, which Qatar has prohibited since 2011.
Can I move my financing between these banks later?
Yes. QIB, AlRayan and QIIB all advertise buyouts of existing finance from other banks. Costs matter: AlRayan charges 1% on early settlement of home finance, and its 2026 promo claws back the cashback plus the rate discount if you leave within three years. See our refinancing guide for the mechanics.
Compare providers in your state
See side-by-side comparisons of Shariah-compliant products, or let our matcher recommend the best options for your situation.
Why does Dukhan cap terms at 15 years when QIIB offers 30?
Neither bank explains its choice publicly. What we can say from the published terms is that the difference is structural reality, not marketing: a QAR 1.5 million financing repaid over 15 years instead of 30 roughly doubles the monthly commitment at any given rate, so Dukhan's Ijara suits higher-income buyers or smaller financings, while QIIB's 360-month term stretches affordability furthest.