Doha - QatarMinister of Transport HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met with the Director General of the Arab Civil Aviation Organization Mr. Eng. Abdennabi Manar, in Ministry offices today.The meeting reviewed Qatar-ACAO relations in the field of civil aviation and discussed several topics of common interest and ways of further enhancing them.
Doha - Qatar The Ministry of Transport is working on completing the requirements necessary for switching the buses and trucks to ecofriendly, ultralow sulfur diesel, in collaboration with the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology (QS), the General Directorate of Traffic, Qatar Energy and several other relevant entities. This comes in the context of the Ministry’s policy for using clean diesel fuel, equivalent to the EURO 5 diesel, on all Qatar’s imports of buses and trucks, starting with the models manufactured for 2023. Euro 5 diesel is designed as sulfur-free diesel which promotes lower vehicle emission and is cleaner for the environment. Qatar Energy will provide all transportation sector’s needs of EURO5-equivalent diesel fuel to be used on many buses and trucks countrywide, thus significantly reducing carbon emissions and pollution. Such steps will promote the Transformation to Eco-Friendly Vehicles Strategy in Qatar. They also contribute to upgrading the specifications of buses and trucks to using the clean diesel fuel equivalent to the EURO5 diesel, thus achieving environmental sustainability by rolling out more such clean technologies, fuels and electrical energy to reduce vehicle exhausts and harmful carbon emissions. This not only sets the stage for a cleaner, healthier and safer environment for current and coming generations, but eventually helps reduce greenhouse gases, combat climate change and maintain an economic-environmental balance. The EURO5-equivalnet diesel fuel provides for best standards, specifications and modern technologies. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions significantly and protect the environment. EURO5 standard for CO does not exceed 1.5%, maximum diesel sulfur content of 10 ppm and smoke opacity of 1.0-1.5 ppm compared to previous standards for buses and trucks compatible with EURO2-3 diesel, which causes more pollution because CO standard is up to 2.1%, smoke opacity is up to 0.46 ppm with a diesel sulfur content of as high as 500 ppm. Noteworthy, the Ministry of Transport had coordinated with the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA) in developing a policy for electric and hybrid vehicles for the State of Qatar, aiming at securing the country’s needs of clean energy permanently and regularly, in addition to identifying the alternatives to secure them, thus contributing effectively to achieving Qatar’s 2nd National Development Strategy (2018- 2022) and QNV2030.
Doha - QatarMinistry of Transport has signed a Financial Subsidy Agreement with Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) pertaining to the operations of the railway transport network in line with best global practices and standards, thus ensuring providing high-quality, affordable transportation services to the public, in addition to carrying out all works relating to maintaining the railway networks and services to ensure their sustainability.The event was attended by Minister of Transport HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti and Minister of Municipality HE Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Subaie, who is the Managing Director and CEO of Qatar Rail.Ministry of Transport’s Technical Affairs Department Director Sheikh Mohamed Bin Khalid Al-Thani and Qatar Rail’s Chief of Corporate Support Mr. Khalifa Hassan Al Jehani, signed the agreement per which the Ministry of Transport will support all the measures that promote public transit demand management, including the railways.The agreement comes in the context of the Ministry’s efforts to provide an integrated, world-class, multi-modal transit system that offers safe and reliable services in step with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 in such a way that promotes social, economic and environmental development objectives, in addition to developing the modes of transportation using the latest universal ecofriendly approaches, and optimally deploying alternative and clean energy in the transportation industry to reduce harmful emissions.
Doha - Qatar Minister of Transport HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti today witnessed the test operation of level 4 fully autonomous electric minibuses conducted by Mowasalat (Karwa) in cooperation with Yutong- a Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles, especially electric buses. He also took a tour at Karwa and was briefed on the company’s operational plan for the upcoming FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, which begins this Nov. 30 and sees the deployment of the first batch of electric buses to serve the fans of the event. He also inspected the public transit bus plans in general. The test operation comes within the framework of executing the electric vehicle strategy the Ministry developed with bodies concerned. The strategy backs the country’s agenda for a green future by contributing to striking an economic-environmental balance in a way that ensures the sustainability of transportation sector’s infrastructure projects, as well as modernizing the modes of transportation through deploying alternative, clean energy in step with latest universal ecofriendly systems to reduce harmful carbon emissions and, therefore, create a clean, healthy and safe environment for generations to come. The months-long test operation will be evaluated to ensure such buses suit Qatar’s climate conditions. If successful, Qatar could become one of the very first countries in the world to start deploying such a transit system. Level 4 technology is the most advanced for the time being. A level 4 fully autonomous electric minibus can run autonomously without any need for a driver. But a driver can be there as a backup to handle any emergency. Those buses are equipped with several radars, lidars and advanced cameras that support the bus to recognize all the surrounding objects and react accordingly while in motion, giving the bus a high degree of visibility at up to 250 meters of range. These technologies help enhance safety on roads. Each minibus can carry 8 passengers and travel 40 kilometers per hour. Its battery takes roughly an hour and half to reach full charge and the bus can travel 100 kilometers per single full battery.
Doha, Qatar The Smart Qatar (TASMU) Program, in partnership with the German Embassy, hosted a trade delegation which included representatives from 20 German businesses. Lead by Dr. Georg Melanin, an official from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the German delegation included Andreas Berg, German Deputy Ambassador to Qatar; Kathrin Lemke, Representative of the German Industry and Commerce Office in Qatar; Dr. Linda von Delhaes-Guenther, Managing Director of AHP International; in addition to representatives from leading German businesses in the software development, cybersecurity, information management, engineering technologies, radar manufacturing, biosensors, motion sensors, armored vehicle design, and smart firefighting systems sectors. The German delegation was briefed on the initiatives and achievements of the TASMU program, a flagship initiative under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The session also covered the unique investment opportunities available as part of the TASMU program. The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the field of communications and information technology. The recently launched TASMU platform, which is a key tool for developing smart and innovative solutions, was also presented. The platform regulates and integrates all services across TASMU’s five priority sectors: healthcare, environment, transport, logistics, and sports. It provides the necessary data for innovators to develop applications, or test and market their smart solutions. It further serves as a comprehensive library for users, enabling them to find the applications or technologies they need through a one-stop shop approach. Commenting on the visit, Her Excellency Reem Al-Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Society Development Sector at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said: "We are pleased to host the German delegation and discuss opportunities for cooperation between organizations in Qatar and Germany. We always strive to enhance cooperation and exchange experiences with various countries, while building strong relationships and long-term partnerships with leading international companies from various sectors. Our goal is to improve the quality of life for residents in Qatar and accelerate our path towards sustainable economic diversification by developing smart solutions that contribute to achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.” She added: "We look forward to benefiting from all global and local expertise to help build a smart Qatar and transform the country into a regional hub for information technology and the development of advanced technologies. We are optimistic about the results of the meeting with the German delegation, and we look forward to further cooperation in the near future." The German delegation’s visit is part of the efforts led by TASMU Digital Valley (TDV), one of the main initiatives under the Smart Qatar Program. TDV is an advanced and innovative platform that links and integrates various sectors and connects entrepreneurs, startups, investors, academics, and international companies. It aims to enhance cooperation with multinational companies and advanced technology firms to provide smart solutions that contribute to the development of TASMU’s priority sectors. TASMU is currently developing more than 100 smart solutions that help address major challenges on a national level. Three smart solutions were already launched in 2020 and 2021 in the healthcare and environment sectors, and the program recently launched the third batch of tenders for smart solutions that include the development of seven new solutions. The German delegation was also briefed by Qatar’s National Cybersecurity Agency on the country’s cybersecurity efforts. The presentation covered the key elements from the National Cybersecurity Strategy and the efforts undertaken by various sectors in the country to elevate Qatar’s cybersecurity systems. The session also highlighted the Qatar Computer Emergency Response Team (Q-CERT), which was launched in 2006, and the initiatives they launched to share technical expertise and build national capacity. The discussion also covered Q-CERT’s participation in various international organizations in an effort to build partnerships and sustain best practices in cybersecurity and data privacy. Representatives from the National Cybersecurity Agency highlighted the series of National Cyber Drills (The STAR-X series) which is an annual exercise that was held for eight years in a row with participation from more than 80 national entities and 500 participants. This has contributed to the identification of different sector capabilities, to test and develop their readiness to respond to cyber-attacks. The National Cybersecurity Agency was established in accordance with the Amiri Decision No. 01 of 2021, as a step towards uniting the various efforts of all government entities in this area.
Doha (Oct. 26, 2021)Assistant Undersecretary of Maritime Transport Affairs Dr. Saleh bin Fetais Al Marri met with Mr. Gerrard Baker, Deputy Head, Maritime Security Operations Team, from the United Kingdom's Department for Transport.Held in the Ministry offices, the meeting discussed enhancing bilateral relations, exchanging expertise in the field of maritime security and the importance of holding joint workshops to introduce maritime transport specialists to latest global developments to raise their knowledge and skills on maritime