News | Ministry of Transport

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

4th Arab Digital Content Forum Concludes in Doha

Doha – QatarThe events of the 4th Arab Digital Content Forum concluded in Doha today. The forum was organized by the Ministry of Transport and Communications from Oct. 5 to Oct. 7 under the auspices of the League of Arab States in collaboration with Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Qatar, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) and the ITU.The event came to an end with a set of recommendations to boost the presence of Arabic language online.Among key recommendations: the importance of developing and promoting Arabic domains for an easier access to Arabic content, the importance of having a larger Arabic representation in world organizations and entities concerned with the field, the importance of unifying Arabs’ efforts to disseminate the content and the importance of sponsoring and supporting the projects that focus on encouraging innovation in developing and increasing the Arabic content online.Other key recommendations include the importance of: applying intellectual property protection laws to encourage investment in professional content, providing institutional and financial support to content developers, providing a high-quality Arabic content online to ensure an easy access for Arabic speakers where they can express themselves and share their work in their own language.Forum speakers also stressed the need for more investment in ICT infrastructure as well as in governments’ current health and economic priorities as the digital gap continues to widen.Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world and one of the six official languages of the UN. Arabic has nearly 13 million total words. Around 422 million people speak Arabic around the world. The internet is used by roughly 100 million Arabs. However, according to forum speakers, global reports say Arabic content online makes up only 3% of the overall world digital content.The forum’s five online sessions revolved around the reality of Arabic digital content, the importance of Arabic digital content during crises, the future prospects of e-learning in the Arab region, the role of Arabic digital content within a smart nation, the Arabic digital content and entrepreneurship amongst youth and the AI impact on boosting the Arabic content.

Monday, October 5, 2020

4th Arab Digital Content Forum Begins in Doha

Doha – QatarThe events of the 4th Arab Digital Content Forum started in Doha today under the theme; “The Future of Arabic Content on the Internet.”. The forum is organized by the Ministry of Transport and Communications until Oct. 7 under the auspices of the League of Arab States in collaboration with Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Qatar, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) and the ITU.In his opening remarks to the virtual event, the President of Communications Regulatory Authority of Qatar Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai said that since the Internet has become the largest place for available information, using the Arabic language on the Internet nowadays requires fundamental informational tools based on Arabic language computing and analysis accurately and academically and among those tools are the search engines and dictionaries.He added that the State of Qatar has executed several initiatives supporting and promoting the digital Arabic content such as and the Doha Historical Dictionary of Arabic and the Media, Culture and Heritage National Digitization Plan, which aims to develop a vibrant digital ecosystem through which future generations can tap into their past and create new expressions of Qatari culture on the global stage. He said Qatar also issued Law 7 of 2019 on Protecting the Arabic Language.Director of the ICT Department at the League of Arab States (LAS) Khaled Wali stressed the importance of developing the online Arabic content to reach out the largest possible number of users in the Arab world.The forum will tackle six main topics on the reality of Arabic digital content, the importance of Arabic digital content during crises, the future prospects of e-learning in the Arab region, the role of Arabic digital content within a smart nation, the Arabic digital content and entrepreneurship amongst youth and the advancement of the Arabic digital content.The forum is held within the framework of implementing the decision of the 18th Round of the Arab Telecommunications and Information Council of Ministers, which decided to organize the Digital Arabic Content Forum yearly, and the ITU Arab Regional Office plan of action 2015.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

4th Arab Digital Content Forum Begins on Monday

Doha – Qatar The 4th Arab Digital Content Forum begins on Monday in Doha. The event is organized by the Ministry of Transport and Communications until Oct. 7 under the auspices of the League of Arab States in collaboration with Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) of Qatar, the Arab Information and Communication Technologies Organization (AICTO), the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) and the ITU. The virtual forum will feature more than 20 speakers and experts from Arab countries as well as regional and international organizations. The forum will tackle six main topics on the reality of Arabic digital content, the importance of Arabic digital content during crises, the future prospects of e-learning in the Arab region, the role of Arabic digital content within a smart nation, the Arabic digital content and entrepreneurship amongst youth and the advancement of the Arabic digital content. The event will also highlight innovations, breakthroughs, best practices and successes in the development of Arabic digital content and increasing the international and regional cooperation. The forum is held within the framework of implementing the decision of the 18th Round of the Arab Telecommunications and Information Council of Ministers, which decided to organize the Digital Arabic Content Forum yearly, and the ITU Arab Regional Office plan of action 2015. Click here to visit the forum website

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Minister Meets with Italian Ambassador

Doha – QatarHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met with the Ambassador of Italy to the State of Qatar HE Mr. Alessandro Prunas, in Ministry offices today.The two officials reviewed cooperation relations between the two friendly countries in the fields of transportation and communications and means of further developing them.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Minister Meets with Japanese Ambassador

Doha – QatarHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met with the Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar HE Mr. Kazuo Sunaga, in Ministry offices today.The two officials reviewed cooperation relations between the two friendly countries in the fields of transportation and communications and means of further developing them.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

25% of Public Transit Bus Fleet Electric by 2022

Doha – QatarBy 2022, 25% of the public transit bus fleet in Qatar will have become electric. Public buses, government school buses and Doha Metro feeder buses will gradually shift to electrification, thus hitting the roll-out percentage that is required to reduce harmful carbon emissions from buses by 2030, in addition to honoring the concerted efforts that aim to maintain environmental sustainability.This comes as the Ministry of Transport and Communications is executing the electric vehicle strategy it developed in collaboration with the bodies concerned, and which is part of MOTC strategy for providing an integrated, world-class, multimodal transportation system that offers safe, reliable and eco-friendly services in line with the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 for social, economic and environmental development.The electrified buses will be used during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, making it the first championship where electric mass transit buses are deployed; a move that clearly demonstrates Qatar’s commitment to clean energy solutions for transportation in the world and supporting the determination to host an exceptional, eco-friendly, carbon-neutral event.As part of the strategic plans, Kahramaa is coordinating with MOTC to establish an integrated network of electric vehicle charging devices. To date, 11 chargers have been installed and are working uninterrupted. Nearly 30 more chargers will be installed and activated during 2020 and some 100 more in 2021. Moreover, there is a plan to establish the solar-powered largest electric charging station in the region in Lusail City and it will be connected to all stations.MOTC is also working with Mowasalat (Karwa) on a comprehensive plan to electrify all Karwa taxis over the coming years. Karwa is planning to purchase some 140 electric taxis this year to be deployed for service around Hamad International Airport as a first phase.The Ministry has also finalized developing standards and specifications for electric vehicles and have been endorsed by the Qatar General Organization for Standards and Metrology. Those standards and specifications will be shared with all stakeholders and bodies concerned.Furthermore, 100 electric vehicle parking spaces will be established as a first phase; a project that is being included in tendering already.Under the strategy, such an electrification shift will support building an infrastructure for an integrated, multimodal electric public transit system in the country, which is the first of its kind in the region.Several permanent depots, distributed in a well-considered geographical order, will be established in various areas across the country. They will include facilities for parking and charge and maintenance equipment, in addition to administrative buildings and staff and drivers’ accommodation, which will be completed during 2022, plus several main stations that also support electric transit services.The electric vehicle strategy backs the country’s agenda for a greener future and contributes to striking an economic-environmental balance in a way that ensures transportation sector’s infrastructure projects sustainability, supporting economic growth and making the most out of the natural resources by increasing the revenues of oil and gas sectors and developing the means of transportation though deploying clean and alternative energy in accordance with latest universal eco-friendly systems to reduce carbon emissions and, therefore, create a clean, healthy and safe environment for generations to come.