Hamad Port has made Qatar proud yet again. The arrival of first vessel at Hamad Port’s Container Terminal 2 (CT2) project on August 29, 2020 is testament to this fact. The ship was loaded with the first shipment of the rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) for vertical container transportation.
Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti witnessed the arrival of the vessel and said CT2 will boost Hamad Port’s ranking as the most updated and most efficient gateway for shipping containers and cargo in the Gulf region and surrounding region in general. CT2 development consists of 4 phases. Full operation of Phases 1 & 2 will start before the end of 2022, taking the port’s capacity to 3 million TEUs per year. Phases 3 & 4 will be developed later to raise the port’s operational capacity according to local market’s needs.
The fact that all CT2 works near completion confirms the continuity of the plans that aim to develop and increase the port’s capacity, which is in progress in full gear with no delay or slowdown despite the repercussions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected several economies around the world directly and indirectly, H E the Minister added.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications highlighted the strategic importance of Hamad Port on its official Twitter handle saying “Hamad Port contributes to achieving economic diversification and supporting major national projects, as the port received Doha Metro trains to support the sustainable transport network in the country. The port has a pioneering role in stimulating commercial movement, meeting the needs of the local market, and supporting trade exchange between Qatar and the outside world.”
QTerminals, meanwhile, has said that work on CT2 is fully on track. “QTerminals has received the first batch of 12 trailers that will support CT2 operations. A further 12 units will be delivered during September and October. All the trailers are Made in Qatar. CT2 – fully on track,” tweeted QTerminals.
It must be mentioned that Made in Qatar products are playing vital role in the construction of CT2. One of the key aspects of CT2 development is the use of environmental friendly technologies to facilitate sustainable development.
Hamad Port is playing a major role in securing the needs of local market and projects implemented by Qatar, ensuring access of Qatari products to the global markets. Hamad Port’s strong capabilities, modern facilities, and advanced systems will position Qatar as a re-export hub in the region, increasing the volume of trade between Qatar and the rest of the world.
