Representing a paradigm shift in Qatar’s economic diversification and competitiveness, Hamad Port is to be officially inaugurated in the first week of September.
Under the auspices of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the largest port in the Middle East, is set to officially open in the Umm Al Houl area. The mega project conforms to Qatar’s attempt at economic diversification and competitiveness in line with the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, said a press release.
Spread over 28.5 square kilometres, Hamad Port’s basin is 4km long, 700 metres wide and 17 metres deep — specifications that enable it to receive the world’s biggest ships.
The capacity of Hamad Port is to reach 7.5 million TEU annually on completion of all construction phases. It has a general cargo terminal with a capacity of 1.7 million tonnes annually, a terminal for cereals with a capacity of one million tones annually, a terminal to receive vehicles with a an annual capacity of 500,000, a terminal for livestock, a terminal for coastguard vessels and a terminal for marine support and backup. Hamad Port applies the highest standards of safety and security.
It includes a uniquely designed port Control Tower at a height of 110 metres, a customs inspection area for rapid cargo clearance (5,600 containers per day), a ship inspection platform and multiple maritime facilities, in addition to other utilities such as storage units, mosques, rest areas, medical clinics and the offices required for port operation.
Moreover, the latest technologies for port operation have been applied as the facility has some technologies being deployed and used for the first time in Qatar and the region.
Additionally, as part of Qatar’s major steps toward increasing its nonpetroleum exports and building manufacturing industries, a free zone has been established adjacent to Hamad Port.
The Port, through an integrated logistic zone, will help connect Qatar to railway networks in the Gulf countries. The expressway network – a modern network that feeds the Port, will help in mobility flexibility to and from the Port, in addition to lowering the cargo transport cost, which would make the Port a regional hub for shipping.
Hamad Port has been designed in a way that makes it expandable. Its infrastructure has been designed creatively using latest technologies to guarantee infrastructure will always be resilient and developable in a way that contributes to reducing expansion cost in the future.
Hamad Port has recorded significant milestones, regionally and internationally, in quite a short period of time. It has played a key role in breaking the blockade during the current critical situations that Qatar encounters. It managed to secure multiple global marine transport lines, revitalize importation traffic of basic commodities, needs and supplies and provide alternatives after countries of the blockade had decided to shut down land, air and marine borders with Qatar.
As early as the blockade started, the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the Qatar Ports Management Company (MWANI Qatar) responded by launching new shipping routes, connecting Hamad Port directly with several marine destinations. On top of them are the two Omani seaports of SOHAR and Salalah, Turkish Derince Port, Pakistani Port of Karachi and the two Indian ports of Mundra and Nhava Sheva.
Last July, Hamad Port received 48873 containers, 80275 tons of general cargo, 4922 vehicles and machinery, 74148 heads of livestock and some 7897 tons of building materials.
Noteworthy, Hamad Port won the largest smart and green-friendly project award at the Seatrade Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa Awards 2016 held at Atlantis the Palm in Dubai. Later in November, Hamad Port received the “2016 Sustainability Award” from the Gulf Organization for Research & Development (GORD), “Light Industry Ports” category, for its commitment to sustainability best practices.
It is worth mentioning also that MWANI Qatar’s Integrated Management System (IMS) had won internationally-acclaimed certifications after passing an external audit conducted by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA): ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System, ISO 14001:2004 for Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001:2007 for Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
