News | Ministry of Transport

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Q-CERT holds cyber security drill to secure major events

Doha-QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) organized on Wednesday a Pre-Conference for the 6th National Cybersecurity Drill (Star 6) which will be conducted next December.The event titled 'Defending the Nation, Securing Major Events' featured expert speakers from Gartner Research, Kaspersky, F-secure and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.“Over 500 people from 95 entities will participate in the cybersecurity drill ‘Star 6’ event to be hosted by the Ministry of Transport and Communications next month,” said Eng. Khalid Sadiq Al Hashmi Assistant Undersecretary for Cyber Security Sector at MOTC on the sidelines of the press conference on the 6th National Cybersecurity Drill.He added: “The aim of organizing the event is to protect the State’s digital assets and to unify the efforts of all government entities.”He reiterated that the topic of the event is very important considering the major events Qatar is hosting, led by 2022 FIFA World Cup. He stressed the importance of cybersecurity during these events.He said that the cybersecurity drills do not target operational sectors or departments, but target the departments that support IT sectors.For her part, Nora Al Abdullah, Training & Awareness Section Head at MOTC said that cyber drills are an important part of the national cybersecurity strategy that was issued in 2014.She pointed out that since the first drill, which was held under the title Responding to Cyber Incidents, the mechanism of implementing the drills has been developed, with the number of participants increasing from 20 to about 95 in the next edition.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Minister Attends Istanbul’s Third Airport Inauguration Ceremony

Istanbul – TurkeyCommissioned by HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti witnessed yesterday the inauguration of the Istanbul New Airport.HE Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the new facility. Several chiefs of states, world leaders and high-profile government officials attended the opening ceremony.The inauguration of Phase I of Istanbul’s third airport coincides with the Republic Day of Turkey, which falls on Oct. 29.Quoting Turkish officials, Istanbul’s third airport on its first phase will be able to accommodate some 90 million travelers a year and more than 150 million travelers by 2023, making it the world’s largest airport.The airport is scheduled to complete on multiple phases and has a future expansion plan. It is replacing the 65-year-old Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which will no longer be operating as an airport, but rather be inaugurated as a megapark in coincidence with opening the new airport.Qatar’s Ambassador in Ankara HE Mr. Salem bin Mubarak Shafi Al-Shafi and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Chairman HE Mr. Abdulla bin Nasser Turki Al Subaey attended the ceremony.

Monday, October 22, 2018

Qatar takes part in Marine Environment Protection Committee meetings

LondnQatar takes part in the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meetings held at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, UK, from 22 to 26 October to discuss issues and topics on the agenda related to the marine environment.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Workshop Held on ‘Integrated Public Transport Ticketing & Fare Collection System’

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications has organized a workshop on the requirements that are needed for deploying the Integrated Public Transport Ticketing & Fare Collection System in cooperation with the main stakeholders.The workshop explained the mechanism of implementing a unified ticketing system for all modes of transport through sophisticated and secure systems that offer multiple payment options such as Single Transport Card/ Ticket, debit/credit cards, mobile apps, etc.

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Statement from the Ministry of Transport and Communications

Doha – QatarQatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications is aware of the surprising news being reported in some media outlets, which claims that arms shipments have passed through Doha from Tehran in a cargo aircraft that landed at Hamad International Airport and then left for the Lebanese capital Beirut.This story is completely baseless. After reviewing the records and comparing them to the stories being reported, it was confirmed beyond doubt that this story is incorrect and not based on any facts.The stories claim that an aircraft carrying the number QFZ-9950 landed in Doha, which is incorrect. The aircraft that landed at Hamad International Airport was carrying the number QFZ9976, which landed at 22:20 pm Doha time on Wednesday 17 October 2018. This was a cargo aircraft carrying a shipment of livestock belonging to the Qatari company Widam Food, which then left Doha for Tehran at 10:30 am on Thursday, 18 October 2018.The Ministry of Transport and Communications condemns the false allegations that Qatar facilitates the transfer of arms. The Ministry reaffirms that all of its institutions comply with the highest international security standards and all relevant domestic and international laws to ensure international security and safety at all land, air and sea ports.The Ministry calls on all media to ensure accuracy and credibility of their reporting before further dissemination of baseless information.

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Ministry Wraps up Workshop on Adobe Government Framework Agreement

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications has wrapped up a workshop on Government Framework Agreement signed between the Government of Qatar, represented by MOTC, and computer software company Adobe, represented by its local agent here the Information and Communication Technology W.L.L (ICT).The agreement aims to secure technology needs for government entities in order to further enhance efficiency and advance the digital transformation agenda across all government sectors.The event was attended by representatives and specialists from multiple government entities.Attendees were introduced to the particulars of the agreement, its scope and objectives, and what it provides to government entities. Experts from MOTC and Adobe, who addressed the attendees, covered topics such as Adobe licenses management, services, products, applications, project management and support and the dedicated resources.They also talked about user training through the Qatar Digital Government Training Program (QDGTP), which is concerned with supporting the Qatar Digital Government 2020 (QDG2020) Strategy in terms of boosting and enhancing the digital transformation at government entities and institutions. QDGTP does that through specially-designed training courses that focus on upgrading and sharpening the technical capabilities of ICT employees countrywide. Speaking to government representatives, MOTC’s Assistant Undersecretary of Government Information Technology Sector Mr. Hassan Jassim Al-Sayed gave an overview of the agreement and the services it provides to subscribing government entities. He said Qatar was among the very first countries in the Middle East to have signed framework agreements with international technology companies, thus keeping up with the latest technologies.“The area of interaction between the Government of Qatar on one hand and individuals and companies on the other hand, has been expanding. This means we are having an upward curve in terms of digital transformation via almost all channels,” said Mr. Al-Sayed.“However, we don’t stop at the mere observing and monitoring of such a constrictive and growing interaction. Indeed, we work on boosting and enhancing it, aiming to take it to the highest levels. We prioritize that and toward that end we provide more government framework agreements with more international companies to help provide all the applications, products and services required for QDG2020.”By so doing, he explained, “we assist the government entities in providing and innovating the processes and applications that help improve and enhance our online services.”The workshop also featured a presentation conducted by QDGTP team on the program mission, objectives and milestones since it has been launched. QDGTP trains and qualifies more national leaders and professionals in the field of ICT and ICT executive management.The event concluded with intensive, one-on-one sessions and discussions between Adobe and MOTC experts and government entity representatives.