CHAIRMAN: DR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

Views /Editorial

Galloping forward

Published: 22 May 2018 - 08:37 am | Last Updated: 05 May 2025 - 03:22 am

As the blockade against the State of Qatar enters second year, the leaders and the people of the country can be proud of the numerous developments that have taken place in just one year, which prove Qatar’s  determination to overcome the unjust siege and its resilience to the nefarious designs of the quartet which imposed unprecedented hindrance in the path of peaceful coexistence and progress of the Gulf region.

The siege countries must have dreamed that Qatar would fall in few days into the blockade, but Qatar gathered all its strength and galloped like a stallion under the wise leadership of the Amir, H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, creating unparallelled progress in every sector.  The latest milestone in this march is the completion of the water production phases of the Umm Al Houl Power Plant, which currently pumps 136 million gallons of water per day. Director and General Manager of Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC), Fahad bin Hamad Al Mohannadi, said last week that the completion of the power generation phases of Umm Al Houl Power Plant, which is scheduled to produce 2,520 megawatts of electricity, will be announced soon.

“The announcement of the completion of the water production phases of Umm Al Houl Power Plant confirms that the project was going ahead of schedule and QEWC is capable of fulfilling its obligation to the State,” said Al Mohannadi, who is also the Chairman of Umm Al Houl Power Plant. “The unjust blockade could not affect at all the projects for producing electricity and water being implemented by QEWC,” he added.

The Umm Al Houl Power Plant will add 25 percent to the existing capacity once it is completed. It will be the largest electricity and water station in the Gulf Cooperation Council states. The plant will produce 600 million gallons of water through reverse osmosis process making it the largest station in the Middle East.

With the fast pace of development, Qatar is proving its strength and showing the whole world, especially its detractors, how a small country can beat all odds with determination, strong will and perseverance and emerge victorious from adversities. The unjustified blockade couldn’t stop or put on hold a single project and it never affected any of the development activities thanks to the visionary leadership of the country.

The farsightedness of the country’s leadership resulted in foreseeing unexpected, even unimaginable incidents, and being fully geared up to face such challenges. The siege was imposed during the last holy month of Ramadan and while we are into another fasting month, we thank Allah from the bottom of our hearts for all the blessings and strength bestowed upon us throughout the last year and pray for further progress in the years to come.