Qatar freight activity soaring  

Qatar’s maritime sector has yet again delivered strong performance. Hamad Port, Ruwais Port, and Doha Port have registered all-round growth till date, showing the robustness of Qatar’s maritime sector.

The three ports registered a significant growth in July 2019 when compared to June this year. The ports also handled more cargo in July, A total of 377 vessels called at Hamad Port, Doha Port and Ruwais Port in July this year, compared to 318 vessels in June 2019 which is an over 18 percent increase in vessels movement on month-on-month basis.

According to statistics released by Mwani Qatar in a tweet, ports in Qatar handled 121,404 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) containers in July 2019, 90,752 tonnes of general cargo, 7,082 vehicles; 58,269 livestock heads and 29,641 tonnes of building materials in July this year.

The figures relating to vessel movement and cargo handling at Hamad Port alone as shared by QTerminals indicate Hamad Port’s dominance in handling cargo movement in the country. Hamad Port received 141 vessels in July 2019.

Strong mid-year performance

Ports in Qatar registered impressive growth in cargo handling in the first half of 2019. The ports handled 218,330 tonnes of building materials in January-June period of this year, compared to 177,000 tonnes in the same period last year, showing a growth of around 24 percent.

During the first six months of 2019, a total of 1,828 ships called at Hamad Port, Doha Port and Ruwais Port, making it a busy period for Qatar’s maritime sector. The strong half-yearly performance by maritime sector follows all round performance shown by the ports in the first quarter of this year.

Mwani Qatar in cooperation with partners has inaugurated a number of new direct shipping lines between Hamad Port and other ports in the region and beyond.

The positive momentum in the country’s maritime trade will get stronger as Qatar has opened new trade routes and has diversified its source of supply. After the unjust siege, the authorities took several initiatives to strengthen maritime trade and ensure smooth supply of goods for residents.

Hamad modernization paying off

Since commencing operations in December 2016, Hamad Port, the largest port in the Middle East, has modernised the way Qatar handles imports and exports and has helped in facilitating the growth and diversification of the country’s economy. Within a short period of time, the port has reached a global port connectivity coverage with 40 ports spanning over three continents.

The port has seen tremendous growth in a short duration and is further cementing Qatar’s position as a regional maritime hub. It also plays a major role in securing the needs of local markets and projects implemented by Qatar, ensuring access of Qatari products to the global markets.

©ThePeninsula