Interconnected by air & sea • Chapter summary
Transport is an integral part of Qatar’s strategy to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and realize Qatar National Vision 2030, and the sector only saw a great leap forward during the recent blockade. Qatar’s flagship air carrier Qatar Airways played a vital role in keeping the country connected with existing and new suppliers, and at the same time transport infrastructure projects in the country experienced an acceleration in an effort to keep the country running on a business-as-usual basis.
A great example of this transport infrastructure is Hamad Port, which is expanding its capacity thanks to Container Terminal 2. “The commencing of CT2 is another milestone added to Hamad Port’s record of achievements. The additional 624m of quayside with 380,000sqm of storage facilities, remote-controlled quay cranes, and environment-friendly RTGs and tractors have boosted CT2’s huge potential, modern facilities, and advanced systems for increasing Qatar’s trade with the world,” Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport and Communications, told The Business Year. The operation of the port has been trusted to QTerminals, which has managed to quickly gain the trust of the national business community and the international shipping companies. According to the MOTC, Hamad Port is currently handling more than 24 direct services of all the major global shipping lines every week. Additionally, QTerminals has started to build on its international presence with the conclusion of a 35-year concession agreement for the Port of Olvia in Ukraine in 2020 and the purchase of the Port of Akdeniz in Antalya, Turkey in 2021.
On the air transport side, Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA) is undergoing an expansion plan that is expected to increase its capacity to 53 million passengers per year by the time of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After this, the expansion project will continue to increase HIA’s capacity to 60 million per year, thus strengthening Doha’s position as a hub for air traffic.
Despite COVID-19’s devastating effects on the air transport industry, Qatar Airways has been able to weather the winds thanks to its strong position as a cargo carrier, while trying to maintain a passenger network as extensive as possible. In fact, Qatar Airways plans to carry out over 1,200 weekly flights to more than 140 destinations by mid 2021. Qatar Airways Group CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said; “We are proud to lead the recovery of international aviation, implementing the highest standards of bio-safety and hygiene and investing in the latest innovations to simplify travel and restore passenger confidence during the most challenging period in the history of aviation.