Qatar boosts maritime growth with new shipping event in 2025

In the first half of 2024, Mwani Ports in Qatar handled a total of 706,983 20-foot containers, an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year.

As one of the fastest growing economies in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with a clear focus on the goals of its National Vision 2030, Qatar is also poised for dynamic growth in the maritime and logistics sectors, supported in particular by the steady increase in port activity.

To help develop these sectors, Seatrade Maritime Qatar, which will be held on 4-5 February 2025 at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel, will focus on Qatar and its growing global presence as a maritime hub on the international shipping map.

The event will be organised by Seatrade Maritime in collaboration with strategic partner, Mwani Qatar.

Mwani Qatar stated: “While Qatar aims to strengthen its global leadership in the oil and gas sector, it also aims to increase the growth of its non-hydrocarbon economy. The target is to achieve an average annual real non-hydrocarbon growth of 4% by 2030, focusing on expanding manufacturing, tourism, logistics, education, health, food and agriculture, financial services, and information technology and digital services, in addition to future clusters around key technologies and national assets.

“The maritime and logistics sectors play a significant role in this growth and Mwani Qatar’s latest statistics underline the maritime sector’s critical role in driving economic growth and supporting Qatar’s vision for the future.”

In the first half of 2024, Mwani Qatar Ports handled a total of 706,983 20-foot equivalent containers (TEU), up 12% year-on-year. The ports also saw significant growth in livestock (22%) and roll-on/roll-off (RORO) units (39%), showing the diversity of goods passing through the ports.

June 2024 saw an increase in port activity, with the three ports receiving 242 vessels, up 23% compared to June 2023. Mwani Qatar revealed that container transshipment recorded a remarkable 51% increase, while livestock, general and bulk cargo volumes increased by 149% and 163% respectively. These figures indicate a solid and dynamic trading environment in Qatar.

In the first half of the year, Mwani Qatar said 1,323 ships called at Qatar’s three ports. In addition, the ports received 931,465 tonnes of general and bulk cargo, 55,944 RORO units, 358,201 cattle and 171,158 tonnes of construction materials.

With further growth expected, Seatrade Maritime Qatar will look at how international companies can do business in Qatar… while Qatari companies will seek to promote their visibility on the international stage by showcasing opportunities for collaboration with local companies.

The event, which will be held over two days, will feature an exhibition and a world-class conference program. Highlighting some of the focus areas, the conference will take an in-depth look at sustainable and green maritime transportation, including green fuels, emission control and environmentally friendly practices; digital transformation in maritime transportation, including the overall role of digitalization, IoT, AI and blockchain in transforming maritime operations, supply chain management and trade facilitation; and AI in maritime operations, including AI in autonomous shipping, predictive maintenance, smart ports and weather forecasting/route optimization.

Chris Morley, Group Director of Seatrade Maritime, the event organisers, said: “With over 50 years of experience in the maritime industry, Seatrade Maritime is well placed to launch this event in Qatar. With other international events in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Philippines, the US, the UK and Singapore, we know that Seatrade Maritime Qatar will help to advance the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and we are proud to be part of this journey.”

For more information, visit www.SeatradeMaritime-Qatar.com.