Qatar Condemns UAE's Accusation of Threatening Air Safety and Security

Doha, -Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) condemned the statement by the UAE Civil Aviation Authority, accusing the State of Qatar of threatening air safety and security. The QCAA reiterated that Qatar is committed to the highest quality standards in maintaining civil aviation safety and security. In a statement, the QCAA said the United Arab Emirates has unfortunately been manipulating the facts to inflame and mislead the international community. The latest statement is proof of this, it said, adding the reality is that the Qatari military aircraft was flying towards the north-east of Qatar on a mission known to the navigation services provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain following the entry of a UAE military aircraft to Qatari waters without the prior permission of the State of Qatar and in the itinerary close to the route of the UAE civil aircraft referred to in the statement of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority. The statement said that this is not the first time that the UAE deliberately send military aircraft to pass through the airspace in conjunction with the passage of UAE civil aircraft without permission from the relevant authorities in the State of Qatar, despite repeated calls to the provider of navigation services in Bahrain to coordinate in this regard, which is an irresponsible act by the UAE and Bahrain. The QCAA considered that the succession of fabricated complaints issued by the UAE Civil Aviation Authority accompanied by media momentum are unsuccessful attempts to divert attention away from numerous military aircraft violations of Qatar airspace since the beginning of the crisis in June 2017, and to interfere with the complaints file of Qatar in ICAO organization, which will be decided in the next two months. It pointed out that the continued lack of professionalism, non-response and bias by the air navigation service provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain - at a time when neutrality is supposed to be honored since it is responsible for managing the navigation in this region - is a cause for concern and condemnation, especially as it is related to the application of international standards aimed at the security and safety of civilians. The QCAA stressed that the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain should deal with the aviation sector professionally, seriously and responsibly away from politicization. The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority appealed to the concerned authorities in both countries to refrain from political and media disputes and to put professionalism above all other considerations. 

MOTC hosts e-Commerce forum

Doha - QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has announced comprehensive guidelines for e-Commerce in the country as part of a ground-breaking model to be followed across the region.Speaking at the Qatar e-Commerce Forum 2018 organized by the Ministry on Tuesday, the Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim bin Saif al Sulaiti said the guidelines will help merchants through all touchpoints involved in starting and implementing a successful e-Commerce business. The guidelines are the result of a collaborative effort between local, regional, and international stakeholders across the entire e-Commerce value chain – from product creation to consumer receipt."Our local system needs to rise to the challenge and provide the range of services required to drive e-Commerce and take advantage of the potential for the state and invest it to the maximum extent possible," the minister added.  "We are seeing increasing numbers of companies seeking to provide e-Commerce domestically, with strong performance, especially in the service sector, and the pace is growing as private car transport, food delivery and local transport services become easier and more efficient," he noted.The value of the country’s e-Commerce market is expected to triple by 2022 as more companies in Qatar adapt to digital technology, he said. Citing official figures, the minister noted that total global e-Commerce from companies to consumers reached $2.2tn in 2017. In Qatar, the e-Commerce market is expected to grow from $1.3bn in 2017 to $3.2bn by 2022, al-Sulaiti added.The minister also stressed that Qatar’s efforts in the field of digital technology accelerated Qatar’s international rankings in e-Commerce by 15 points from 2015, citing a 2017 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) report. “Local encouragement of startups plays a role in creating innovative solutions to the unique needs of consumers in Qatar… the more we can meet those needs, the more the e-Commerce market in Qatar thrives,” al-Sulaiti said.  By the end of 2018, al-Sulaiti also said the ministry will launch the ‘Trustmark’; an innovative project that aims to enhance consumer confidence in Qatar’s e-Commerce sector.“The ministry is making a great effort to create strategic partnerships with local and international entities to help local small and medium-sized enterprises expand their markets and access the latest technology achievements,” he said, adding, “the spread of e-Commerce increases its contribution to economic development, providing better corporate access to consumers, improving business efficiency, expanding trade and investment opportunities, and fostering innovation, diversity and competitiveness.”The event was attended by Qatar Central Bank Governor Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud al Thani, Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar al Baker, Ooredoo CEO Waleed Mohamed al Sayed, Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulaziz bin Nasser al Khalifa and Q-Post Chairman Faleh al Naemi, representatives of global leaders in e-Commerce and senior officials of MOTC.    Representatives of popular e-Commerce companies from Switzerland, Malaysia, Belgium and Turkey presented their innovative ideas and experiences at different sessions of the event. Twenty-two local e-Commerce companies participated in a road show organized on the occasion.

MOTC Hosts Romanian IT Trade Mission

Qatar IT Industry Awards 2018 Is Now Open For Nomination Submissions

Doha – Qatar The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) is proud to announce that the Qatar IT Business Awards are now open for nomination submissions. The final date to submit nominations will be 19th April. The Awards presentation will be held on 6th May under the patronage of the Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassem bin Saif Al Sulaiti.The award program comes as part of the Ministry's keenness to honor the organizations that have benefitted the ICT Industry and the development of innovation during the year 2017. The award program is an annual event and is being held for the fourth time. Information relating to the award categories and the criteria, terms, and conditions can be found by visiting the official awards site www.qitba.qa. An independent panel of experts who have expertise in technology and business will judge the awards nominations.Winning an award at the Qatar IT Business Awards will raise the profile of the winners and help to position them more strongly in both local and international markets.Commenting on the launch of the program Ms. Reem Al Mansouri, Assistant Undersecretary for the Development of Digital Society at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said:  “MOTC is committed to accelerating ICT sector development through supporting local players to develop their skills and enhance their capabilities, and raise their service standards to match the level required to compete regionally and internationally. This commitment is demonstrated by the Qatar IT Business Awards 2018, which recognize and promote the achievements made in the ICT Market in Qatar, across multiple categories. This will encourage the development of the ICT sector for companies, organizations and individuals.”The Awards categories announced for this year are:1-        Service Provider of the Year2-        Systems Integrator of the Year3-        Best Mobile Application of the Year4-        Cloud Service Provider of the Year5-        Tech Startup of the year6-        Smart Transport Solution of the Year7-        Smart Logistics Solution of the Year8-        Smart Environment Solution of the Year9-        Smart Healthcare Solution of the Year10-      Smart Sports Solution of the Year11-      Best SME Digital Transformation project of the Year12-      Best eCommerce Solution13-      Innovative Fintech Solution of the year14-      ICT Exporter of the year AwardNominations can be submitted at www.qitba.qa by 19th April.For Register click here.

Minister meets ICAO’s Delegation

Doha – QatarHE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met today at the Ministry’s headquarters with Mr. Mohamed Khalifa Rahma, Regional Director, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Middle East Office, Mr. Chris Dalton, Mr. Chris Dalton, Chief, Airspace Management and Optimization (AMO) Section, ICAO and Mr. Elie El Khoury, ICAO Regional Officer Air Traffic Management, Search and Rescue.The meeting discussed all updates related to safety and security in civil aviation domain.The meeting was attended by Chairman of Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority HE Mr. Abdullah bin Nasser Turki Al-Subaey.      

THE Ministry workshop on Qatar's accession to TIR Convention

Doha- QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) held on Tuesday a workshop on Qatar's accession to the United Nations' TIR Convention, in collaboration with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) as well as several bodies concerned in the country.The workshop seeks to introduce participants to the details of the Convention, present the objectives and benefits of the State of Qatar's accession to it, define the tasks and responsibilities of the parties concerned to activate the State of Qatar's accession to the Convention, as well as agree on a plan of action and timetable to complete the procedures and requirements by the concerned authorities in the State to activate Qatar's accession to the Convention.In a speech, Rashid Taleb Al Nabit, Assistant Undersecretary for Land Transport Affairs at the MOTC, said the ministry, given the unjust siege imposed on Qatar, was keen to take all necessary measures to meet all international agreements signed with friendly countries in the transport and communications sector which shall be respected by all parties, where the land transport sector with all its modes plays a very vital role.The ministry, he said, has facilitated the movement of international transport and trade, benefiting from the experiences and lessons learned from the development of an integrated road transport system in line with best regional and international practices.He added that the State of Qatar has signed a number of memorandums of understanding and bilateral and multilateral agreements, including TIR Convention to facilitate the movement of trade and land transport with a view to deepening regional and international trade and economic cooperation and regulating and facilitating land transport along with its integration with other modes of transport, including ports, airports, public transport, railways and metro.Al Nabit pointed out that the accession of Qatar to this Convention will contribute to saving transport costs significantly thanks to removing transaction fees for those goods, in addition to reducing transport duration from countries of origin to Qatar, while its other benefits include enabling free movement for land transport modes, unifying and facilitating customs procedures, facilitating and accelerating the transfer of goods from country of origin to country of destination, as well as the abolition of some fees at the crossings between countries, a matter which contributes to reducing costs and adds security benefits under the Convention such as the system of tracking the movement of goods from country of origin to country of destination.He pointed out that the State of Qatar, represented by the MOTC, seeks to enhance trade exchange with other countries and to boost the competitiveness of local industries. This will make Qatar more flexible in the face of changes in the global economic environment by enhancing the role of the private sector and actively involved it in various transport projects in the country, he said.Al Nabit added that the final draft of the strategic plan to stimulate and involve the private sector as well as to provide a guide for companies to encourage and attract private investments suitable for private sector participation has been finalized.Major projects to develop transport projects were launched and the private sector is taking part in them, Al Nabit said, pointing out that the share of the private sector in the projects of Hamad Airport, Hamad Port and Doha Metro exceeded 70% of the total implementation of these projects.For his part, Chairman of General Authority of Customs (GAC) Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal said that the application of the TIR Convention will facilitate and simplify import and export procedures and contribute effectively to overcoming the effects of the unjust siege imposed on the state by opening new transport routes through land and ports of brotherly and friendly countries.He added that the participation of the GAC in this workshop was to emphasize its vital role in the comprehensive economic development witnessed by the State of Qatar, where the Authority is the competent authority in the State to monitor the entry and exit of goods as well as means of transport through different customs outlets and apply relevant international legislations and conventions.He pointed out that the General Authority of Customs has started taking the necessary measures to put the agreement into effect as it contacted the Qatar Chamber to be TIR national guaranteeing and issuing association in the State of Qatar in accordance with the requirements of the Convention, adding that coordination is underway between the two sides to prepare models and operational procedures.It is noteworthy that the transport and communications sector, which its role is key in the economic and social growth in the country, is receiving great attention by the state as it allocated QR42 billion of the 2018 budget to the ministry, equivalent to 21% of the state budget expenditures, while the value of infrastructure, land transport and road projects amounted to QR29 billion, of which the land transport projects account for 95%. (QNA)