Back

Doha – Qatar

Hamad Port today held a ceremony to mark the handling of its first one million TEUs, well ahead of its expected schedule.

This rapid increase in the container handling business at Hamad Port demonstrates its operational efficiency and relentless efforts toward holding a leading position among key regional and global ports according to the plan overseen by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC).        

This achievement, under the current exceptional circumstances, would not have been possible without HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s vision and HE Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani’s unlimited support, said HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti in his remarks at the ceremony. The Prime Minister’s directives, he added, played a key role in enhancing the ranking of the port and transforming it into a key regional logistics hub, despite being relatively new.

In such a record short time, he explained, Hamad Port today marks the handling of one million TEUs coming from regional and global seaports via 22 direct navigation routes and around 120 navigation destinations.

The synergy of efforts among all stakeholders has played a key role in boosting productivity and accelerating handling operations, thereby raising the port’s competitiveness in terms of the time consumed in stevedoring services, the Minister said, addressing the event that was attended by multiple stakeholders, navigation route representatives and shipping agencies.    

Work will continue towards further achievements and thus generate more support for the national economy, as well as for providing fast, effective services at the port, the Minister said. 

Hamad Port, he added, has proved highly capable of not only flexibly handling the logistics challenges that have emerged from the current circumstances, but also overcoming them efficiently, let alone its significant contribution to bolstering Qatar’s marine trade and overall development strategies.

“The shipping routes that have been launched between Hamad Port and regional and international ports have provided additional reliable options and solutions for customers, playing a significant role in enhancing container handling operations and boosting trade via the Port,” said Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) CEO Captain Abdulla Al-Khanji.

Mwani Qatar, he added, “continues supporting the establishment of Hamad Port’s network of navigation routes and broadening the services provided to customers according to the plan that MOTC oversees.”

Mwani Qatar along with partners has successfully launched 22 direct shipping routes between Hamad Port and several regional and international seaports and some 120 navigation destinations. The most recent was a new service from South Korean shipping line Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) as part of the S. Korea-Middle East Express (KME) service.

Since inaugurated, Hamad Port has been making headlines with widely recognized success stories in a record short time, and has significantly enhanced its share of regional trade volume in the Middle East.