News | Ministry of Transport

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Mada and QU join hands to help students with disabilities

Doha-Qatar Assistive Technology Centre (Mada), a non-profit organisation dedicated to connecting Persons With Disabilities (PWD) to the world of information and communication technology, has joined hands with Qatar University (QU) to provide assistive technology to disabled students on QU campus.“Education is one of the three key pillars of our mission at Mada, and many of our services revolve around this area,” said Maha al-Mansouri the CEO of Mada.“We believe that education has the potential to positively impact the PWD community in many ways. It is where the groundwork for social integration is laid, and it makes PWD and their communities aware that disabilities do not subtract from capabilities. We are honoured to have made a meaningful imprint on the campus of Qatar University and to facilitate educational opportunities for students with disabilities.”It has become easier for students with disabilities to access assistive technologies within a shorter time period. This has allowed more people to benefit from the equipment provided.Students will benefit from Mada’s newly opened station at QU. It is equipped with all of the essential assistive technologies necessary for the success of students with disabilities.Mada is committed to enhancing three key areas of education, employment and community. It supports the students with disabilities in Qatar accessing quality mainstream education by educating both the PWDs and a variety of stakeholders about the ways in which ICT can be used to enhance and access quality education.Mada aims to increase employable PWDs in local workforce by offering tailor made courses and programmes and enable independent living by encouraging the creation of an accessible community and friendly ecosystem for PWDs.Mada’s vision of enhancing life of PWDs is brought to life through the use of ICT. Mada is committed to encouraging the development of assistive technologies in the Arabic language to support the needs of PWDs in Qatar.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Communciations Authority Launches National Frequency Allocation Plan

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) announced today it has finalized the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) with appropriate consideration to planning of projects in sectors that are critical to Qatar’s economy. The Plan has been endorsed by the Minister of Transport and Communications, and published on the CRA website.President of CRA Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai said "The finalization of NFAP is an important achievement for Qatar’s requirements of spectrum usage in the telecommunication, government, aviation, security, energy, Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and other nationally critically sectors as the management of this scarce recourse impacts the country’s GDP." He addded that the "NFAP includes all current and future needs related to major national and international sport championships, and cultural events." The plan, reviewed by the Qatar National Spectrum Coordination Committee (QNSCC), includes the updated National Frequency Allocation Table (NFAT) and is a comprehensive frequency allocation document that provides a transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable approach to spectrum management and to reserve appropriate spectrum for future innovative technologies.It also integrates planning of new mobile broadband technologies, public protection & disaster relief measures, unmanned aircraft systems, global flight tracking, maritime safety, amateur radio, and other areas of focus at the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).The document is an essential guide for individuals, government agencies, and commercial entities on how radiocommunication services, technologies, and applications are distributed over radio frequency bands in Qatar. It contains important information required for applicants for any request for frequency usage (assignment, licensing, authorization, etc.), before they approach CRA with such requests. Such requests include temporary spectrum assignments regulations for organizing events and their media coverage via satellite, radio and Internet broadcast. The plan also includes list of specific assignments, list of frequency bands for SRD applications, frequency allotment plans relevant to Qatar, International agreements, harmonized frequency bands or spots.The NFAP is subject to periodical revisions in conformity with requirements which are imposed by new national and international regulations referring to allocation of frequency bands. CRA intends to continually engage with relevant bodies to keep this plan updated as per relevant sectors requirements.The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) announced today it has finalized the National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) with appropriate consideration to planning of projects in sectors that are critical to Qatar’s economy. The Plan has been endorsed by the Minister of Transport and Communications, and published on the CRA website.President of CRA Mohammed Ali Al-Mannai said "The finalization of NFAP is an important achievement for Qatar’s requirements of spectrum usage in the telecommunication, government, aviation, security, energy, Information & Communications Technology (ICT) and other nationally critically sectors as the management of this scarce recourse impacts the country’s GDP." He addded that the "NFAP includes all current and future needs related to major national and international sport championships, and cultural events." The plan, reviewed by the Qatar National Spectrum Coordination Committee (QNSCC), includes the updated National Frequency Allocation Table (NFAT) and is a comprehensive frequency allocation document that provides a transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable approach to spectrum management and to reserve appropriate spectrum for future innovative technologies.It also integrates planning of new mobile broadband technologies, public protection & disaster relief measures, unmanned aircraft systems, global flight tracking, maritime safety, amateur radio, and other areas of focus at the International Telecommunication Union’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15).The document is an essential guide for individuals, government agencies, and commercial entities on how radiocommunication services, technologies, and applications are distributed over radio frequency bands in Qatar. It contains important information required for applicants for any request for frequency usage (assignment, licensing, authorization, etc.), before they approach CRA with such requests. Such requests include temporary spectrum assignments regulations for organizing events and their media coverage via satellite, radio and Internet broadcast. The plan also includes list of specific assignments, list of frequency bands for SRD applications, frequency allotment plans relevant to Qatar, International agreements, harmonized frequency bands or spots.The NFAP is subject to periodical revisions in conformity with requirements which are imposed by new national and international regulations referring to allocation of frequency bands. CRA intends to continually engage with relevant bodies to keep this plan updated as per relevant sectors requirements.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

HE the Minister Meets with Tunisia Minister of Communication Technologies

Doha – QatarHE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti met here Tuesday with HE Tunisian Minister of Communication Technologies and Digital Economy Dr. Mohamed Anouar Maarouf.The two officials discussed several topics of common interest between the two countries in the fields of communications and information technology, and means of further enhancing them, in addition to capitalizing on the investment opportunities in the two sisterly countries.

Monday, December 12, 2016

MOTC’s Q-CERT Organizes 4th National Cybersecurity Drill

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) has launched the fourth National Cybersecurity Drill, ‘Star-4’, on Monday, December 12 as part of the objectives of Qatar’s National Cybersecurity Strategy.HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti opened the event, which runs until Thursday 15 December.Under the theme ‘Managing Supply Risk in the Supply Chain’, the drill complements the series of national exercises initiated by MOTC’s Qatar Computer Emergency Response Team (Q-CERT) to raise the efficiency and readiness of government and corporate institutions against cyberattacks.“Star-4 focuses on cybersecurity risks that may be encountered within the ICT supply chain,” said Khalid al-Hashmi, Assistant Undersecretary, Cyber Security Sector at MOTC, during a media briefing held today at the Ministry headquarters.The technical side of the drills aims to enhance surveillance, monitoring, and reporting by institutions when dealing with cyberattacks, Al-Hashmi added.He noted that cyber drills are exercises that measure the level of readiness against evolving cyber threats and are conducted on a yearly basis. He also pointed out that the drills increase readiness and collaboration among organizations and provide them with the knowledge and tools to contain any form of cyberattack.“The number of the drill participants has increased since the launch of the first national cybersecurity drill (‘Star-1’) in 2013. This year, more than 250 people, representing 60 organizations from seven major sectors are participating in Star-4,” said Nora al-Abdullah, Cybersecurity Training and Awareness Section Manager at Q-CERT.“The cybersecurity drills do not gauge the number of attacks but measure the readiness of Qatar organizations in the face of a cyberattack. The most positive effect of these drills is seeing all these organizations coming together and strengthening Qatar’s cybersecurity ecosystem, and I think that is the essence of having a national cybersecurity drill,” al-Abdullah explained.Cyber drills in Qatar are coordinated in line with the second objective of the National Cyber Security Strategy: “Respond to, resolve and recover from cyber incidents and attacks through timely information sharing, collaboration and action.”

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Hamad International Airport Announces Long-Term Commitment to Reduce Carbon Emissions

Doha,Hamad International Airport (HIA) is celebrating its successful renewal of the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme by announcing a long-term commitment to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions. This includes a target to improve carbon efficiency by 30% by 2030 along with a series of initiatives to help save energy and optimize the consumption of vehicle fuel. Globally, HIA is one of 173 airports accredited to the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, and uniquely, is the only airport to have included carbon emissions generated since its very first day of operations, in April 2014.The ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme offers certification at four levels which reflect incremental challenges in measuring, managing and improving carbon emissions. Currently at Level 1 ‘Mapping’, HIA has ambitious plans to progress to higher levels of accreditation and to demonstrate an approach to managing climate change that compares favorably with other world leading airports. Central to this ambition is HIA’s commitment to deliver a new target to improve carbon efficiency per passenger by 30% by 2030 against a 2015 baseline. Through the preparation of a formal, independently verified, annual carbon footprint, HIA has already achieved a 4% improvement in carbon emissions per passenger in 2015 compared to 2014, with the ambition to reduce the 2015 baseline of 5.6 kilograms CO2 per passenger to fewer than 4.0 kilograms CO2 per passenger by 2030. A new Energy Working Group has been created to help deliver this target. The group comprises a team of electrical, engineering and environmental technical specialists with the remit to identify and progress energy saving initiatives across the whole airport campus. The group has already begun to implement a number of new projects, including modifications to lighting, heating, ventilation and cooling systems which, when combined, could save up to 4,462,600 kWh energy per year. Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, Chief Operating Officer of Hamad International Airport said: "At Hamad International Airport, we believe in our environmental responsibility and are committed to tackling climate change as a core component of our business strategy. It is in our best interest to develop a sustainable future for our airport by effectively managing the environmental impacts of our operations." Al Meer continued: "The Airports Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation programme provides an ideal structure for us to plan and monitor the progress of our carbon programme, and to benchmark our approach against other world leading airports. We’re actively pursuing the higher levels of Airport Carbon Accreditation by engaging all airport stakeholders to continually reduce energy demand through new technology and improved operational practices and by considering further investments in low carbon energy generation." One such initiative plans to replace the existing High Pressure Sodium (HSP) apron flood lights and metal halide light fittings in the airport’s passenger terminal transfer area with Light Emitting Diodes (LED), which will save an estimated 2,613,500kWh energy per year. Another example includes the installation of "speed doors" at vehicular entrances to airport buildings, such as baggage handling areas. These doors help to contain cooled air within the building, reducing the energy burden on cooling systems. IA recognizes that achieving its ambitious carbon target will depend on energy efficiency being built into the design of future airport development. Plans for a major extension of the airport terminal include consideration of certification to the silver level of the international green building scheme LEED, and will include over 11,000 m of photovoltaic cells forecast to generate up to 2,885 MWh energy per year. Alongside enhancing the efficiency of the airport’s infrastructure, HIA is also looking at optimizing its utilization of vehicles. To drive continual improvement in the efficiency of over 2,000 vehicles operating airside, a new Airport Vehicle Programme has been established. This programme brings together businesses operating airport vehicles within the airport boundary, and is focused initially on developing systems to improve the measurement of vehicle fuel consumption and efficiency. The Airport Vehicle Programme has plans to support airport businesses to further improve vehicle management, such as introducing on-board telematics to enable the tracking and analysis of vehicle use and driver behavior. The programme will also provide a valuable role in sharing the experiences of businesses that have already begun to introduce new technology, such as Qatar Aviation Services, who have a fleet of clean vehicles which will expand from 66 to 91 electric vehicles early in 2017.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

CRA begins push for Qatari domain names

Doha,The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has initiated a drive to encourage the uptake of Qatari domain names by local businesses and individuals to increase their web presence.As part of the drive, CRA has invited local web solution providers to sign up as accredited domain name registrars with the authority’s Qatar Domains Registry (QDR).In a press statement yesterday, CRA said QDR has “invested significant time and resources” in identifying and accrediting registrars with strong potential in increasing local and global adoption of the “.qa and .” domains. Accredited registrars represent QDR to offer short, memorable and uniquely Qatari domain extensions to customers, and to manage the registration process following international standards set by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.Although accreditation by QDR allows any registrar to have direct access to the registry database, only Qatar-based registrars are able to register second-level “.qa” addresses, such as “.com.qa” – reserved for companies registered in Qatar, “.net.qa” – reserved for IT-related companies registered in Qatar, and “.name.qa” – reserved for Qatari citizens and residents.These second-level “.qa” domains account for more than 50% of total domains registered locally.The business potential of being an accredited registrar based in Qatar is far more significant as indicated by the fact that only the Qatar-based registrars, including some SMEs, are allowed special rights of distribution of these zone domain extensions, CRA has stressed.Moreover, the renewal rate of domains under second-level is higher than the ones under “.qa”, allowing for a more stable and sustainable annual recurring revenue stream. “QDR has an efficient and capable team of experienced professionals that are available to help registrars setup, manage and profit from this exclusive opportunity,” thestatement notes.The process to sign up for the registrar accreditation comprises the following steps: submit a completed application form and the necessary documentation, complete a questionnaire and technical test, and pay the required fees.The process is available on the QDR website at http://www.domains.qa/en/registrars/become-a-registrar Interested companies may also contact QDR at registrars@domains.qa