Bern - DohaThe State of Qatar has participated in the 15th General Assembly of the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), in Bern, Switzerland. The Qatari delegation was headed by Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti.
Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications represented by MOTC’s Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society Development, HE Ms. Reem Mohammed Al-Mansoori and the Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Government Information Technology, Ms. Mashael Ali Al-Hammadi, met with a delegation of French businesspeople that included Chairman and CEO of Total Mr. Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman of the Qatari French Committee at MEDEF International Mr. Guillaume Pepy, representatives from the French Qardan Association and a number of French company CEOs.The meeting discussed aspects of cooperation in the fields of transportation and ICT between Qatar and France and ways of further enhancing them, in addition to benefiting from the available investment opportunities in these fields.The meeting was attended by Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al-Thani and Ambassador of the French Republic to the State of Qatar HE Jean-Baptiste Faivrev.
Doha- MOTC has been honored by the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces in recognition of its efforts in training QENF personnel at several workshops that highlighted the Qatari maritime laws and several international maritime agreements. MOTC’s Assistant Undersecretary, Maritime Transport Affairs, Dr. Saleh bin Fetais Al Marri received an honorary shield and an appreciation certificate from Commander of QENF H.E. Maj. Gen. (Sea) Abdullah bin Hassan Al Sulaiti. The workshops contributed to enhancing the participants’ expertise by introducing them to latest universal developments in the field, and raising their awareness of maritime legal regulations.
Doha – Qatar The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has unveiled Sila, the brand that brings together the State of Qatar’s transport modes into one network. Currently it includes the metro, bus, taxi and tram. Sila – which means ‘connection’ in Arabic – will be launched in phases, in collaboration with Qatar Railways Company, Mowasalat (Karwa), Qatar Foundation and Msheireb Properties. By bringing together Qatar’s transport services, Sila aims to improve the accessibility of the country’s transport network. Qatar’s transport sector has reached major milestones in recent years, thanks to new products and services, which have been primarily led by individual transport operators. The MOTC will continue this work, with its mission to connect transport modes through the Sila brand, providing seamless mobility for citizens, residents and visitors. In the coming weeks, Sila will launch the journey planning function on its app and website, allowing travellers to plan trips around the country in an integrated way by searching for the best route and combination of transport modes including buses, the Metro, metrolinks, trams, taxis, walking and driving. Travellers can also use the app and website to find out public transport information, such as station and stop locations, station layouts, timetables and routes. Once fully launched, Sila will bring together several projects and initiatives to connect all transport modes in the State of Qatar, improving integration and providing a seamless travel experience. “Today we take an important step towards transforming Qatar’s transport network and enhancing its efficiency and effectiveness,” said Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalid Al-Thani, Director of the Technical Affairs Department in the MOTC. “Sila will streamline the journeys that people take around the country, enhancing people’s connection to work, family and social activities, smartly and sustainably. We look forward to launching further phases of the project in the upcoming months.” Other initiatives – which will be unveiled in the near future – include integrated and contactless payment methods, introducing new services and transport modes and promoting the transport network through public awareness and marketing initiatives to reach a wide audience within The State of Qatar. Qatar’s citizens and residents are encouraged to follow Sila’s newly launched social media pages to get the latest updates. (Facebook: @silaqatar, Instagram: @sila_qatar & Twitter: @sila_qatar). About Sila: Sila is built on the powerful idea of improving the accessibility and integration of Qatar’s transport network for citizens, residents and visitors. The Ministry of Transport and Communications have launched Sila, the brand that brings together the State of Qatar’s transport modes into one network, in collaboration with transport providers. When fully launched, Sila will include a series of projects and initiatives designed to give people the smartest choices for travel, including contactless payment, integrated payment through the Sila card, and the Sila journey planning app and website. Qatar’s commitment to a future of world class mobility encompasses all that Sila is and strives to be – transforming the way we think and act to create a more connected and sustainable transport network for generations to come. Find us online:
Doha – Qatar Qatar has come in Group A of two indices, namely Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI) and GovTech Enablers Index (GTEI), according to the World Bank report titled “GovTech Maturity Index: The State of Public Sector Digital Transformation”. It has also ranked in Group B in terms of “high significant focus on GovTech” with respect to two indices, namely Core Government Systems Index (CGSI) and Citizen Engagement Index (CEI), as outlined in the same report issued by the World Bank. The report comprises a comprehensive overview of the development achieved in economies of 198 world countries with respect to their digital service delivery, and they are classified into four categories based on GovTech maturity. The report provides a global glimpse on GovTech, in addition to different examples of practices and guidelines to use technology in the public sector services. It is also based on 48 key indicators and divided into four indices, which are: Core Government Systems Index (CGSI): It measures the government approach towards digital transformation by checking e-services, enterprise architecture, information and financial management systems. Public Service Delivery Index (PSDI): It unveils file transfer and tax return submission services, e-payment means, among others. Citizen Engagement Index (CEI): It measures citizen participation and the presence of means to find out about their opinions, in addition to easing their use of government portals. GovTech Enablers Index (GEI): It is measured through unveiling the institutions and laws of a government, as well as its digital skills and launch of innovative programs to promote government technologies. The World Bank evaluates the performance of countries worldwide in terms of digital transformation and GovTech maturity based on four groups (A, B, C and D). Whereas Group A represents the countries with an extremely high significant level in GovTech maturity and adoption of public sector digital transformation, Group B represents the countries that have achieved a high level in GovTech maturity and adoption of public sector digital transformation. Among the key impacts in the GovTech Maturity Index is the wide spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19); the matter which resulted in the isolation of so many people in their homes and affected the regular work practices of governments all around the world. This crisis has also unveiled the urgent need for adopting the latest technologies to promote good administration that is based on simplicity and efficiency to meet citizens’ needs.
Doha – Qatar The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) have officially begun the execution of the electric vehicle strategy prepared by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in association with bodies concurred. Several executive bodies alongside Mowasalat (Karwa) and other national companies with contributions to the strategy are all set to put the strategy in motion according to the timetables. The coming days will see the signing of EV charging units contracts. Director of Technical Affairs Department, MOTC, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalid Al-Thani, said that Ashghal and KAHRAMAA will sign EV charging units contracts as agreed upon within the framework of executing the EV strategy. Part of the execution plan is KAHRAMAA’s providing and installing over 600 charging devices at bus warehouses and stations, Metro stations and other select locations to support the electric buses used for public transit and during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he added. Electric buses will be used for key services during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to become the first championship that uses electric mass transit buses, making it the first ecofriendly, carbon-neutral event, he noted. Setting the strategy in motion, he said, affirms MOTC’s efforts to providing an integrated, world-class, multimodal transit system with reliable, trustworthy and environmentally conscious services in line with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030. By 2022, 25% of the public transit bus fleet in Qatar will have become electric. Public buses, government school buses and Doha Metro feeder buses will gradually shift to electrification, thus hitting the rollout percentage that is required to reduce harmful carbon emissions from buses by 2030, in addition to honoring the concerted efforts that aim to maintain environmental sustainability. Meanwhile, MOTC in collaboration with Ashghal finalized the establishment of 4 Park and Ride parking spaces in Al Qassar, Wakra Lusail and Education City. The first two locations have been opened and the other two are opening soon. A big progress has been made also with regards to establishing 4 bus warehouses in Wakra, the New Industrial Area, Al Rayyan and Lusail, to be opened during 2022.