Hamad Port
Overview
Hamad Port is operated by Q Terminals, a company created by Milaha (Qatar Navigation) and Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar). The Hamad Port project is being undertaken to attract trade and industrialization to diversify the economy in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. In early 2019, the first of Qatar’s free zones opened adjacent to the port offering space for local businesses to grow as well as opportunities for international companies to invest in Qatar.
The Hamad Port project has ties with Qatar Rail whose railway line is also due to be completed by 2030, and the government is planning to build a cargo rail terminal adjacent to the port. In addition to this anticipated rail connection, Hamad Port sits at the heart of Al Majd Road, the country’s newest motorway network. The main goal of Qatar having all of these travel entities working in tangent together is to bolster the growth of industry in Qatar while exploring new trading opportunities. The country is working to establish sustainable connections with more distant ports in India, Pakistan, East Africa, and the northern Gulf.
Hamad Port is an important hub for tourism as Qatar has also experienced significant growth in maritime tourism in addition to trade. The cruise ship season runs from October to April and brings in thousands of tourists. It is the hope of Qatar that improvements to roads and public transport networks connecting key transport nodes across the country will enable the increasingly efficient movement of goods and people. These transport improvements will cater to visitors of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while also fostering growth beyond the tournament and bring in new opportunities for trade and tourism.