News | Ministry of Transport

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

The Ministry is the host and strategic partner of the Autonomous e-Mobility Forum

Doha – QatarUnder the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport, The Ministry of Transport (MOT) is hosting the first international “Autonomous e-Mobility Forum” organized by Just us & Otto Marketing Services during the period of 10-12 October 2023.The event, which will be hosted in Doha over three days, will shed light on latest trends and innovations in sustainable transport solutions. It will also provide a leading platform for exchanging experiences, ideas and enriching discussions on developments in the field of electric transport and self-driving mobility, a topic of local and global importance.The Forum will bring together industry leaders, policy makers, senior officials, expert speakers, and representatives of ministries, government institutions, private sector companies, academic institutions, and the media, as well as hundreds of attendees. It thus establishes a suitable opportunity for concerned international parties to enhance knowledge, explore opportunities for cooperation and partnerships, and formulate recommendations on the future application of electric and autonomous vehicles in real-world settings.On this occasion, MOT's Acting Assistant Undersecretary, Land Transport Affairs, Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla, said: “For many years, electric transport vehicles have been a main focus in the efforts of governments and the visions of manufacturing companies within the wider context of sustainability and diversification of energy sources. The State of Qatar seeks to bring about transformative movement in the transportation sector by investing in sustainable and smart mobility, and improving energy efficiency to achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision in line with global efforts to reduce the harmful carbon emissions from conventional vehicles.” “The State has advanced in implementing more environmentally friendly, sustainable transportation plans, as the Ministry of Transport, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, is implementing a strategy of gradual transformation to electric buses, aiming to convert all public transport buses to work with electric energy by the year 2030, along with establishing the facilities that serve this transformation. Moreover, The Ministry is working on developing a comprehensive strategy for regulating self-driving vehicles in the State of Qatar," he added.Prof. Dr. Frank Himpel, Non-Resident Fellow at InStrat, a Department of 4th Dimension, and Consulting Expert to the Forum, said: “The Autonomous e-Mobility Forum in Qatar is unique in bringing together industry experts from around the world to discuss sustainable mobility solutions from a technology, research and policy perspective. The Forum is set to become the pioneering initiative to create a multilateral platform, and establish a rich and constructive dialogue to exchange visions, experiences and viewpoints on sustainability innovations, which are of utmost significance on a global scale.”For more information about the Forum, please visit the Forum's website www.aemobforum.com.

Monday, June 19, 2023

Minister Participates in Paris Air Show

Paris-France Minister of Transport H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti has participated in the 54th edition of the Paris Air Show, which opened at Le Bourget today in attendance of several ministers, senior officials from numerous world countries, CEOs of major world airline and space companies, and organizations concerned with the industry. Escorted by Qatari Ambassador to France H.E. Sheikh Ali bin Jassem Al Thani and Qatar Airways Group CEO H.E. Akbar Al Baker, H.E. Minister Al-Sulaiti visited the pavilion of Qatar Airways that displays three planes of the national carrier’s fleet; Airbus A350-1000, the business jet Gulfstream G700 and Airbus A319. The Paris Air Show is the world’s largest air show. It presents a unique platform for manufacturing companies to highlight their latest aircraft technologies and air transportation equipment, given the huge growth and growing demand for aviation over the coming years. Companies also display their newest technologies, products, and capabilities in terms of technological innovation, in addition to the exchange of expertise. The Paris Air Show runs until this June 25. It attracted nearly 2500 exhibitors from some 47 countries, representing aviation, space and defense industries.

Sunday, June 18, 2023

Qatar Takes Part in Iraq’s “Development Road Project” Technical Meeting

Baghdad - Iraq The State of Qatar has taken part in the technical committees meeting of the Iraqi Development Road Project held in Baghdad and attended by representatives of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Iraq neighboring countries, China, the WB, and the project’s consulting firm. Chaired by Iraqi Minister of Transport H.E. Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi, the meeting discussed the particulars of the strategic project, which is supposed to begin in Iraq and to link the East and the West through a road and railroad transportation network. The Qatari delegation included Ministry of Transport’s Acting Assistant Undersecretary, Land Transport Affairs, Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla, and several officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar Free Zones Authority, QTerminals, and Qatari Diar. This meeting was preceded by a last May conference in Baghdad that was attended by transportation ministers of Iraq’s neighboring countries and the region where the project’s economic feasibility was discussed. On the sidelines of the technical meeting, the Qatari delegation met with an Iraqi delegation represented by some of the Iraqi prime minister’s transportation affairs advisors, and officials representing Iraqi railroad sector, ports, and free zones. They discussed Qatari-Iraqi cooperation and coordination in the areas of transportation, ports, logistics services, Development Road Project and the Grand Port of Al Faw.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Ministry Conducts Blood Donation Campaign with MOPH

Doha- Qatar The Ministry of Transport today conducted a blood donation campaign for its employees in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Health. Run at MOT headquarters, the campaign marked the World Blood Donor Day, which is celebrated on June 14 every year. The MOT wanted to reflect on its corporate social responsibility commitment Run at MOT headquarters, the campaign marked the World Blood Donor Day, which is celebrated on June 14 every year. The MOT wanted to reflect on its corporate social responsibility commitment. The campaign saw a large turnout from Ministry employees and aimed at supporting the blood bank stock of Hamad Medical Corporation with all blood groups in harmony with a nationwide effort to that end.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Minister Launches S-Band Radar System at HIA

Doha – Qatar Minister of Transport H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti today launched an S-Band radar system at Hamad International Airport, to be used in air traffic control systems to monitor and manage air traffic for arriving and departing aircraft. Established in conjunction with Italian Leonardo, the S-Band radar system is equipped with advanced features and unparalleled accuracy and will serve as the backbone of airspace surveillance, enabling swift and precise tracking of aircraft in real-time. By providing essential information to air traffic controllers, pilots, and aviation authorities, the radar system will significantly enhance situational awareness and streamline the management of air traffic. This came at the launching event at the location of the radar at HIA, attended by Italian Ambassador to Qatar H.E. Paolo Toschi, Leonardo Electronics Senior VP Mr. Davide Fazio, and several officials from the MOT and the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority. The launching of this radar today and the previous milestones during such a short period of time demonstrate the progress achieved in Qatari air navigation, thus supporting the buildup of a civil aviation system that is leading and sustainable relying on the best policies and practices and highest global standards in the field, said H.E. Minister Al-Sulaiti. The aim, he noted, is enhancing the country’s position on global aviation map to the best levels in terms of efficiency, quality, and advancement, thus achieving the QNV2030. He added that the deployment of advanced air navigation systems and technologies has contributed to achieving the strategic goals for keeping pace with the need for increasing air traffic capacity as the number of air movements at Hamad International Airport and Doha International Airport, from the start of operations during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through the end of the championship, reached 26425; the equivalent of a landing and a takeoff per minute. The objective of the new radar is to provide complete redundancy for the primary and secondary radar data, through state-of-the-art technology in compliance with latest national and international standards. It allows controllers to track the position, altitude, speed, and heading of aircraft in real-time. This information enables controllers to provide separation between aircraft, issue instructions, and ensure safe and efficient flow of air traffic. In his opening remarks, Mr. Mohamed Faleh Alhajri, in charge of managing the QCAA, said the launching of the S-Band radar was supporting the progress of the current stage and complementing the development plans in place, and a new step toward a more efficient future for civil aviation. He added that installing new devices and advanced technologies directly contributes to increasing the capacity and opening additional air routes and this helps in the smooth flow of air traffic for arriving and departing aircraft. In support of our national talent, he said, Qatari engineers and technicians have been trained in the technologies of the S-Band radar system at the manufacturing company in Italy as a first phase, and they will have hands-on training at the site of the radar here under the supervision of specialized engineers from Leonardo, Mr. Alhajri said. The S-Band radar covers a range of 200 miles and a height of 45000 feet. It is connected to the Long-Rang L-Band radar for smooth air traffic and safe and secure aviation. It updates flight location every 5 seconds, helping detecting aircraft locations with high accuracy. Such instant updates also help air controllers prioritize landing and takeoff operations in a fashion that enables the landing and takeoff of 3 aircraft at the same time, using 3 tarmacs at HIA and DIA, thus increasing the capacity to 100 aircraft per hour. This system is taking effect for the first time in the Middle East.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Minister, Suriname Counterpart Initial Air Services Agreement

Doha – QatarMinister of Transport H.E. Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti and Suriname’s Minister of Transport, Communications, and Tourism H.E. Albert Jubithana today initialed an air services agreement between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Suriname.The agreement comes in the context of connecting Qatar with more such agreements that open airspaces for the national carrier to fly to more destinations around the world.After the signing ceremony, the two ministers discussed Qatar-Suriname relations in the fields of transportation, civil aviation, air transportation, ports, and means to further enhance them.The meeting was attended by some MOT and Qatari transportation industry officials, and the delegation escorting H.E. Minister Jubithana.