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Qatar Participates in 22nd GCC Transportation Ministers Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Qatar Participates in 22nd GCC Transportation Ministers Committee Meeting

Doha – QatarThe State of Qatar participated in the 22nd Ministerial Committee of Transportation in the Gulf Cooperation Council held today via videoconferencing and attended by concerned GCC ministers and officials, with the Qatari delegation being headed by HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti.Their Excellencies the Ministers discussed several topics relating to the impacts of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on transportation and communication sector, as well as topics relating to the GCC railroad network project, the uniform regulations and controls for the granting of licenses for driving small maritime units and the updating of both the rules and instructions for GCC ports and the list of safety measures for vessels loaded with small cargos.The meeting also reviewed topics of cooperation in land transportation particularly with relation to the uniform international road transportation system among GCC states and the general framework for preparing guidelines for traffic safety in the GCC countries.The Ministers submitted their recommendations necessary for executing the resolutions of the Higher Council with regard to enhancing join Gulf action for the post-pandemic period, in addition to expanding the consultation studies on smart transportation patterns that GCC countries are deploying, aiming for covering all GCC states. Some recommendations also related to work mechanism for finalizing the studies and projects relating to a strategy on transportation and communications that would help broaden the economic integration between GCC states.

PM Inaugurates Initial Operation of Hamad Port Container Terminal 2, Health Centre
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
PM Inaugurates Initial Operation of Hamad Port Container Terminal 2, Health Centre

Doha – QatarHE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani on Tuesday made a visit to Hamad Port, during which His Excellency inaugurated the initial operation of Hamad Port's Container Terminal 2, which is equipped with the latest environment-friendly technological equipment to meet the needs and requirements of shipping line operators and would increase the port's capacity by about three million containers per year. HE the Prime Minister and Minister and Minister of Interior also inaugurated the Hamad Port Health Centre and inspected its facilities equipped with all the medical equipment needed to serve the port's employees and visitors.During the visit, His Excellency received a presentation from officials of Mawani Company about the ports strategy, expansions and foreign investments. He also inspected a number of the port's facilities, where he toured the port and inspected the progress of the under-construction warehouses of the Food Security Project, and was also briefed on the progress of work in the port's control tower.A lineup of Their Excellencies ministers and Mawani senior officials accompanied HE Prime Minister and Minister of Interior during the visit.On this occasion, HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti said: “His Excellency Prime Minister’s inaugurating the initial operation of CT2 is a new achievement to be added to Hamad Port’s record of achievements, thus boosting its huge potential, modern facilities and advanced systems for increasing Qatar’s trade with the world, in addition to improving the country’s competitiveness by transforming it into a regional trade hub with sustainable development for the coming generations.”Works of developing CT2, the Strategic Food Security Facilities and all other establishments, which come as part of developing Hamad Port’s CT2, continue in full gear with no delay or slowdown despite the repercussions of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, which affected several economies around the world, directly and indirectly, HE the Minister said.During developing CT2, he said, the Qatar National Vision 2030 has been implemented, which aims at supporting the national manufacturing and deploying latest technologies that are based on environmental sustainability and clean energy, noting that all materials and equipment used in the works of infrastructure, preparations and establishments at CT2 were made in Qatar with universal specifications, as well as the structures of the electric trailers used in transporting containers within the terminal, thus supporting the electric vehicles strategy and legislations that aim to back the country’s agenda for a greener future.Minister Al-Sulaiti said that MOTC, by backing this kind of business, is significantly contributing to reinforcing the localization of manufacturing, expertise and global technology, in addition to its plans for localizing the actual operational processes for several transportation and communication projects, thus enriching local companies’ investment mentality to enhance achieving the QNV2030.Container Terminal 2CT2 development project consists of 4 phases. Full operation of Phases 1 & 2 will start before the end of 2022. Phases 3 & 4 will be developed later to raise the port’s operational capacity according to the local market’s needs.The area of Phases 1 & 2 of Hamad Port’s CT2 is 380,000 sq.m. Its quay is 624m long.QTerminals, which manages and operates Phase 1 of Hamad Port, has so far completed 3 million man-hours without LTI during the development works of CT2. QTerminals is set to offer the shipping sector all the modern equipment that uses latest and global eco-friendly technologies to execute their business fast and smoothly.Phase 1 of CT2 has been equipped with 3 STS quay cranes with advanced technology, including semi-automation and remote-control operations. STS cranes are known for being so fast and highly efficient in handling containers and capable of handling the latest types of vessels. Each crane can handle four 20’ containers or two 40’ containers at the same time. Four more cranes will be added during 2021, taking the total number of cranes to 7.CT2 has been also equipped with 12 RTGs and 14 more will be added during 2021, taking the total to 26. RTGs are used for handling containers on the landside. RTGs are of battery hybrid type. This technology reduces the environmental impact of RTG operations by reducing fuel consumption. Further, when a container/load is lowered, there is a spike of generated power which results in a rapid charge event of the batteries.CT2 has 22 Terminal Tractor APM 75T HE for container transportation within the terminal and the port. This type of terminal tractors is capable of functioning very efficiently in high temperatures. It’s equipped with advanced batteries, an entirely solid-state technology insensitive to temperature variations from -20 to 160°C. This supports its operations at Hamad Port in summers, when temperatures are very high in Qatar.Terminal Tractors APM 75T HE are highly productive with low maintenance cost. They are also easy to drive with a high level of safety. They are also ecofriendly and energy saver. Being fully-electric makes them clean and sustainable with no polluting or carbon emissions or noise. Their CO2 emissions equal zero ton annually. They have also low operational cost. Each tractor will save nearly 45.5 thousand Qatari riyals a year versus the diesel-powered tractors. One kilowatt per hour costs 0.32 Qatari riyals in electric tractors compared to 2.32 Qatari riyals in diesel-powered ones. CT2 has also 4 empty container handlers (ECH) and 24 trailers.Furthermore, CT2’s operation-related and service buildings and infrastructure have been finalized, including the Diesel Generator House (DGH), Main Intake Substation (MIS), Admin Building (ADM), Reefer Stack Gantries (RSG), quayside amenities (QAS), telecom, ELV & SSD networks and stormwater networks, in addition to other relevant infrastructure and establishments. All gates will be automatic with seamless connection to operation systems, electronic data exchange and systems of other bodies concerned, in addition to integration with CT1, which started operation in Dec. 2016. Hamad Port Medical CenterHamad Port Medical Center is located at the Administration Area of Hamad Port. It is built and equipped with all necessary medical equipment to serve the port’s employees, visitors, and for the fitness checkup of sailors and ship crews, when applicable. It is complying with the National Healthcare Facilities Licensing and Accreditation Program. It is built on a GSAS 3 Star Rating. The medical center is considered one of the dispensable facilities of the integrated system – such an integration that stipulates all main and necessary services must be available at the port. The Center comprises of Ground Floor with a total floor area of 1200 m2. The facility has two main entrances and a dedicated entrance for emergencies.Main Features of the HPP Medical Centre Facility: Reception & Registration equipped with Que Management System, fully-equipped Male Observation & Assessment Room with a capacity of 8 patients, fully-equipped Female Observation & Assessment Room with a capacity of 2 patients, two Consultation Rooms with all necessary medical equipment, two Treatment Rooms with all necessary medical equipment, a pharmacy, a Radiology/X-Ray Room, a laboratory, two fully-equipped Isolation Rooms, Staff Rest & Office Areas.In addition to all necessary standard operating systems for Center operations, the facility has the following medical systems: Medical Gas System, Nurse Call System and a Medical Record System.There are also dedicated parking spaces with shades for ambulances near both the helipads and the direct entrance to Emergencies section.Strategic Food Security FacilitiesHamad Port Project Steering Committee is supervising the construction and development of ‘Strategic Food Security Facilities’, for storing, processing, refining, and preparing three main food commodities (Sugar, Rice, and Edible Oils), which are being established over an area of approximately 53 hectares (about 530,000 square meters). The Strategic Food Security Facilities are being developed at an estimated budget of QAR 1.6 billion. These food products will be available for use in the local, regional, and global markets.The project design and construction contract was awarded to Al-Jaber Engineering Company (JEC) on July 16, 2017, which undertook the design of the project in cooperation with international consulting firms in accordance with best-known practices in this field and by applying the best internationally known quality and manufacturing standards.Rice: In SFSF, rice facility will receive 20% brown rice, 80% white rice. Brown rice will be milled first and then it will go to long storage silos where the white rice will be stored for a minimum of 2 years in silos, and both types will be milled before packing. It can produce bagged rice with a capacity of 550 MT per day ready for distribution to the market. For the Rice Silos and Plant, they consist of:a) Concrete Storage Silos: Total number of silos is 51 with a total storage capacity of about 300,000 MT.b) Warehouse and Staking: There are two storage warehouses (double and triple module) to store rice.The total area of double module warehouse is 10,000 m², and its storage capacity is about 28,000 MT.The total area of triple module warehouse is 15,000 m², and its storage capacity is about 44,000 MT.c) Rice Processing Facility: The SFSF includes a full process facility which is required to process the brown rice to produce the final product as white rice. Also, the white rice will require a reprocessing to maintain the quality of the rice for a minimum of 2 years. The complete process is required prior to transporting the white rice to the bagging/packing facility for it to be ready for the market distribution.d) Animal Feed Facility: while processing the brown rice there will be a waste in the form of broken/coloured rice. The SFSF project considers in its design the use of byproducts either as rice flour or process the same for animal feed.2. Edible Oil facility: In SFSF, the oil will be pumped from ship to the intermediate storage tanks and then to the oil drying section. Later it will be stored in long term storage tank which is for a minimum of 2 years. As and when required this oil will be refined in the refinery section and then it will be stored in the refined oil tanks. From there it will be sent to the filling section where the oil will be filled and packed in PET bottles. There will be 4 different types of oils; sunflower, corn, palm and olive oil. The facility can produce oil in bottles with a capacity of 326 MT per day ready for distribution to the market.As for the Edible Oil Plant and Tanks Facility, it consists of:a) Stainless Steel Oil Storage Tanks: The total number of tanks used in SFSF is 44 where 36 tanks will be used for long term storage and 8 tanks will be used for the final product. The total storage capacity of oil tanks will be 120,000 MT.b) Oil Bottling and Warehousing: 2 separate filling lines will be used to bottle the refined oil. The total storage capacity of oil warehouse will be 13,000 MT.3. Sugar: The sugar facility is comprising of 2 warehouses (WH1&2) which are designed on the highest industry standards to maintain the quality/shelf life of the refined sugar for a minimum of 2 years. It has the capacity of 346 MT per day for distribution to the market.As for the Sugar Facility:a) Warehouse 1: The total area of Warehouse 1 is 15,000 m². It has a total storage capacity of 130,000MT.b) Warehouses 2: The total area of Warehouse 2 (quadruple module warehouse) is 21,000 m². It has a total storage capacity of 65,000 MT.On-site Work Progress and Project’s AchievementsThe current overall progress of the project is around 85%.  Work is ongoing to complete the construction works and targeted to be operational by the second quarter of 2021.The tender document for the facilities operator in cooperation with an international consulting firm is completed.The construction of the rice storage silos has been 95% completed. Finishing and MEP work in progress. Rice Processing facility is also 95% complete.90% of the Edible Oil tanks manufacturing works have been completed. The completion rate of rice stores (final product) is approximately 85%. Approximately 90% of the construction works for the sugar warehouses (final product) have been completed. The completion rate of Edible Oil stores (final product) is about 65%. Work is underway on the construction of Warehouse 1 sugar storage and it is about 60% complete.And one of the innovative universal designs is that the uses can be changed for food security and commodities can also be changed with such a unique design that provides security and safety in the supply process without additional costs.   

Roundtable on Investment Opportunities between Qatar, Italy
Monday, December 21, 2020
Roundtable on Investment Opportunities between Qatar, Italy

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy organized a roundtable meeting on the investment opportunities between the two friendly countries, in Doha today.The State of Qatar’s delegation was headed by HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti with participation of HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Abdulla bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie and CEO of Qatar Investment Authority HE Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud. The Italian delegation was headed by HE the Italian Foreign Minister Mr. Luigi Di Maio.The roundtable was attended by HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Italy Abdulaziz bin Ahmed Al Malki Al Jehani and HE Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Qatar Alessandro Prunas.The roundtable discussed enhancing cooperation between the two friendly countries in all fields. HE Minister Al-Sulaiti said that the bilateral relations can be described as excellent and unique on all political, economic and even military levels and they are based on mutual respect, trust and common interests between the two countries.HE also delivered an explanation about the precautionary measures and the financial and economic package of measures that Qatar has taken to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, in addition to Qatar’s effort in this front to back the international community through offering the necessary aids to more than 70 countries and organizations. He also highlighted the role the national carrier Qatar Airways has been playing since the pandemic began.Additionally, HE the Minister touched upon the key projects carried out in transportation and communications and plans and programs that MOTC will be carrying out in mobility and communications during hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.In this context, HE the Minister highlighted the role of the Italian firms in strategic projects in mobility and ports sectors in Qatar. He said a consortium led by Salini Impregilo S.p.A. in the works of designing and constructing the Red Line of Doha Metro, in addition to the role of C.M Bernardini the leading Italian company specialized in the design and supply of equipment and plants for oils and fats industry, which cooperates as an international consultant on the works of developing and building the Strategic Food Security Facility (SFSF) at Hamad Port.Minister Al-Sulaiti also said that there are large opportunities for business and investment in Qatar, adding there are 40 agreements between Qatar and Italy covering various key industries. Every year, he said, Qatar exports 8 billion cubic meters of gas to Italy which equals nearly 10% of Italy’s needs and the value of Qatar’s commodity exports with Italy also rose from QAR986 million in 2012 to QAR5.130 billion in 2019 – up more than 420%.He affirmed that work will continue to cement cooperation for the best good and interest of the two nations.After the roundtable, HE the Minister and the Italian Foreign Minister witnessed the signing of a letter of intent on cooperation in innovation between the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development and Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center. The signing event was attended by HE Ambassador Al Jehani.

MOTC Honors “Qatar Digital Government Excellence Awards” Winners
Monday, December 21, 2020
MOTC Honors “Qatar Digital Government Excellence Awards” Winners

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has announced the entities that won Qatar Digital Government Excellence Awards at a ceremony MOTC organized and was attended by HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Al-Sulaiti and several senior officials from the government sector.The event also featured the graduation of new batches of Qatar Digital Government Training Program (QDGTP), stemming from Qatar Digital Government Strategy. HE the Minister honored the second batch, 17 graduates, of the Chief Technology Officers (CTO) Training Program and the third batch, 28 graduates, of the IT Talent Program.Qatar Digital Government Excellence Awards is one of the QDG program initiatives to value and recognize the efforts of government entities and organizations in developing and launching digital services and making them accessible for beneficiaries. The initiative also encourages all entities to advance with providing innovative digital solutions, thus supporting the country’s vision toward building a knowledge-based economy, in accordance with Qatar National Vision 2030.There are 7 categories for the Awards: Best Digital Service, Best Open Government Service, Best Innovative Service, Best Government Entity in Digital Transformation, Best Mobile Application, Best Governmental Portal or Website and Best Specialized Portal.Entries were evaluated and best initiatives selected by a neutral jury comprising local and international experts in the field of e-government and according to various criteria, such as creativity in providing the services, benefits to users and to what extent they achieved their desired goals. Based on the evaluations, two awards are provided under each category: First place (Gold) and Second place (Silver).The Best Digital Service award is given to the public-facing digital service by submitting an end-to-end digital service delivered in the most distinctive way with the highest level of quality. In this category, the Public Works Authority “Ashghal” won the silver award for its Moazanah System, whereas the Ministry of Education and Higher Education won the golden one for the Registration and Transfer of Students of Government Schools. In the Best Open Government Service category, awarded to the best digital platform or service that offers open data and/or e-participation to the public, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment won the silver award for Qatar's National Address "Unwani", whereas the Ministry of Transport and Communications received the golden award for Qatar Open Data Portal.In the Best Innovative Service category, awarded to the best innovative service that demonstrates innovative thinking and/or process improvement, the General Customs Authority won silver award for its Customs Declaration for Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing System, whereas Qatar Leadership Centre won the golden award for its QSurvey System. In the category of Best Government Entity in Digital Transformation, awarded to the best performance in the overall digital transformation of a government entity according to its progress and adherence to Qatar Digital Transformation Strategy, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry won the silver award, whereas the Ministry of Culture and Sports won the golden one. In the Best Mobile Application category, awarded to the best digital government application for smart services in terms of content, service offering, usage, design, functionality, accessibility, and user experience, the Ministry of Justice won silver award for SAK mobile app, whereas the Ministry of Interior won golden award for Metrash2 mobile app.In the category of Best Government Portal or Website, awarded to the best portal or website in terms of content, service offering, usage, design, functionality, accessibility and user experience, Qatar Public Prosecution won silver for its e-Services Portal, whereas the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, won gold for its portal. Finally, in the category of Best Specialized Portal, awarded to the best successful portal that is built to achieve specific purpose, target specific audience, empower social responsibility, community needs, well-being, and support or improve the community standard of living, Mada (Assistive Technology Center) won silver, for Mada Innovation Program, whereas the Ministry of Public Health won gold for MyHealth Patient Portal.In his remarks during the event, HE the Minister, Al-Sulaiti, said, “Digital government is the future of government services in Qatar and we will continue this transformation successfully through the support and contribution from all stakeholders and government entities, as well as through our commitment to qualify professionals in the ICT domain to the best quality.”He added: “Out of our interest in backing the digital transformation in Qatar according to the objectives of the QDG Strategy and in appreciation of all efforts and milestones that came true in reality, we launched Qatar Digital Government Excellence Awards to foster a culture of excellence and positive competition amongst government entities in the field of digital transformation and digital services by harnessing the advanced ICTs for providing the best services to all segments of the public.”HE the Minister pointed out that Qatar eGovernment Steering Committee, chaired by MOTC, has, since formed, been encouraging all government entities to introduce digital services plans and oversee their execution to achieve the objectives of QDG Strategy. The Ministry, he said, continues working closely with more than 40 government entities pertaining preparing and executing digital service plans.“The human element is the most important in the digital transformation ecosystem, and from the perspective of developing and qualifying Qatari youth to empower them to deploy innovative technology solutions and support our digital transformation plans, MOTC launched QDGTP, which to date has trained over 3000 government employees in IT through conducting more than 500 training courses and specialized training programs and around 40,000 training hours, in addition to granting more than 800 international certifications to program trainees,” he further clarified.Graduating the second batch of the CTO Training Program takes the total number of its graduates to 41 while the total number of IT Talent Program graduates has now reached 82.

Qatar Wins World Summit Award 2020 in “Inclusion & Empowerment”
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Qatar Wins World Summit Award 2020 in “Inclusion & Empowerment”

Doha – QatarQatar has won the World Summit Award 2020 (WSA2020) in category “Inclusion & Empowerment” with the platform “Bonocle” – a Qatari startup.Bonocle innovated the first ever Braille entertainment platform. The power of Bonocle is taken advantage of when used alongside an iOS or Android smart device to gain access to applications for work, education, or gaming. With such uses, Bonocle adds value to its users at home, school, and in the office. Bonocle envisions an unsegregated world where the blind and sighted share classrooms and workplaces. The story started at the Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), which played a key role in the company’s success. Since established, its goal has been to further integrate blind people in classrooms, universities and workplaces while having equal access to technology.Bonocle was selected and nominated among 40 winners (5 in each of the 8 categories of WSA Awards) announced by the Awards officials out of 380 nominations in total from over 100 participating countries.With this win, Qatar has become the only GCC country to have won an award in one of the categories for this year. Additionally, Qatar and Lebanon are the only two Arab countries to have ever won one of the Awards categories.“We are proud Qatar has won the WSA2020 award in Inclusion & Empowerment; something which reflects Qatar’s advancement in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship and the attention it pays to empowering and including the disabled through powerful technology. We are especially pleased this announcement coincides with the Qatar National Day celebrations,” said the Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society Development, MOTC, Ms. Reem Mohammed Al-Mansoori.The eight award categories are Government & Citizen Engagement, Health & Wellbeing, Environment & Green Energy, Business & Commerce, Learning & Education, Culture & Tourism, Smart Settlements & Urbanization, and Inclusion & Empowerment.The winning products will be invited to the WSA Global Congress, which this year will be virtual on March 22-24, 2021, where they will have the opportunity to pitch and promote their projects at a global level.A local jury, formed by the official national expert for WSA in Qatar, Ms. Al-Mansoori, had screened and assessed all the submissions that represent Qatar and selected one qualified product for each category to further represent Qatar at the international level.

Qatar Participates in 24th Session of Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Qatar Participates in 24th Session of Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information

Doha – QatarThe State of Qatar today participated in the 24th session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information held via videoconferencing and attended by several Arab ministers and officials.The Qatari delegation to the session was headed by HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti.Their Excellencies Ministers discussed the impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic on postal sector and the activities of the Arab Permanent Postal Commission and its workforces. They also discussed the role information and communication technologies play in addressing the pandemic. There was also a follow-up on the implementation of the Regional Development Plan - Arab Region (2017-2020) and the Arab nominations for the membership of the Governing and Postal Investment Councils of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).They also discussed topics on cybersecurity, combating online crimes and terrorism, the Arab Internet Governance Initiative, the Arab Digital Capitals Initiative and latest updates on the Regional Forum for Digital Arabic Content.The agenda also included a review of aspects of cooperation with other regional workgroups and organizations in the field of communications and information technology such as the Arab-Chinese cooperation and cooperating with Russia on global information security.

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