News | Ministry of Transport

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Minister Al-Sulaiti Witnesses Arrival of First Vessel to Hamad Port’s Container Terminal 2

Doha – QatarHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti today witnessed the arrival of the first vessel, as planned and scheduled, in Hamad Port’s Container Terminal 2 (CT2) project. The ship was loaded with the first shipment of the rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) for vertical container transportation. RTGs will be installed on CT2 quay directly to be used in the initial operation of CT2. Inspecting work progress at CT2, HE the Minister was briefed on work updates regarding building and construction works at CT2 and what has been completed so far until reaching today’s new achievement.CT2 development consists of 4 phases. Full operation of Phases 1 & 2 will start before the end of 2022, taking the port’s capacity to 3 million TEUs per year. Phases 3 & 4 will be developed later to raise the port’s operational capacity according to local market’s needs.On this occasion, HE the Minister said CT2 operation will boost Hamad Port’s ranking as the most updated and most efficient gateway for shipping containers and cargo in the Gulf region and surrounding region in general.The fact that all CT2 works near completion confirms the continuity of the plans that aim to develop and increase the port’s capacity, which is in progress in full gear with no delay or slowdown despite the repercussions associated with the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, which affected several economies around the world directly and indirectly, HE the Minister said.The area of Phases 1 & 2 of Hamad Port’s CT2 is 380,000 sqm. Its quay is 624m long. CT2 is expected to offer the business sector all the modern equipment that uses latest and eco-friendly world technologies to execute their business fast and smoothly. CT2 will be equipped with STS quay cranes with very advanced technology. Each STS crane can handle two containers at the same time. It will also be equipped with RTGs for vertical container transportation, Terminal Tractor APM 75T HE for horizontal container transportation, empty container handlers (ECH) and trailers.Furthermore, all operation-related and service buildings and infrastructure will be constructed at CT2, in addition to telecom, ELV & SSD networks, stormwater networks and relevant infrastructure and installations, supporting CT2 integration with CT1, which started operation in Dec. 2016.

Saturday, August 29, 2020

MOTC Announces Measures of Lifting Curbs on Public Transit System as Phase 4 Begins

Doha – QatarAs Qatar continues its precautionary measures to ensure wellbeing and safety of citizens and residents against the Coronavirus COVID-19, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has announced measures of resuming public transit services within the first part of Phase 4 of the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.Operators of public transit (buses and metro) can resume service at 30% capacity as of Sept. 1. Service hours will be the same as they were before the service suspension while the situation will be assessed on a weekly basis.MOTC stresses the need for all operators of public transit to comply with the precautionary measures set by the Ministry of Public Health, run a COVID-19 test for all those who work on the public transit system and stations and ensure a negative result before allowing them to go back to work. Those measures also include checking their temperatures daily and continuously, isolating those who exhibit disease symptoms and contacting the bodies concerned for any necessary precautionary and health measures. Operators will be also training their staff in applying such precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. MOTC also stressed that operators need to provide “compliance officers” according to the capacity determined on public transit (buses, metro and stations). Those officers will be responsible for ensuring compliance to all precautionary measures and that they are being followed by public transit users who must avoid crowding in front of the stations. It is also necessary for operators to coordinate effectively and directly with service and vital public utilities associated with metro and bus stations such as the airport, shopping malls, hospitals and bazaars. The aim is to make sure public transit customers do not crowd at these stations and do follow all precautionary measures, in addition to regulating the entry and exit of those who frequent the stations, the metro and the buses, particularly the metro stations with limited capacity. MOTC also stresses the need for all public transit service operators to put emergency plans for managing and monitoring the transportation system users and to take the necessary measures to limit and control the crowding, in collaboration with bodied concerned.MOTC will also constantly work with the operators to develop the necessary plans and awareness campaigns to protect those who are most vulnerable such as the elderly and pregnant women with chronic diseases to urge them not to use the public transit system.The Ministry also urges the operators to encourage users of public transit system to book their ride tickets online, ban all workers and public transit customers from eating or drinking at the utilities, stations and on transportation modes, ban smoking at the entrances of metro and bus stations and remove all ash receptacles. Operators are also requested to ensure all surfaces at stations and public transit system are sterilized continuously and regularly, hand sanitizers are available everywhere while avoid putting them at open spaces such as bus stops, safe social distance footmarks are placed on floors and similar stickers on seats, in addition to receiving customers at a capacity not exceeding the particular occupancy percentage during the current period, which is 30% of the full capacity.Additionally, MOTC stresses the need for public transit operators to allow the public to use the system only after checking their health status on the EHTERAZ App. Entry will be limited only to those with EHTERAZ health status “Green”. People wearing no facemasks will be denied entry. Temperatures must be checked. Those with temperatures higher than 38 will be denied entry to stations and public transportation system.MOTC confirms these instructions are updatable and modifiable according to the situation on the ground. The Ministry will also conduct inspection campaigns on public transit system and stations to ensure correct and full compliance to all back-to-business precautions.MOTC urges the public and public transit workers to follow all precautionary guidance and measures for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. Ministry says every phase of the gradual lifting plan could not succeed without everyone’s compliance to the recommended preventive and precautionary measures.MOTC receives complaints and suggestions via email info@motc.gov.qa, its social media accounts, its MOTC mobile application that’s available for iOS and Android.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Minister Meets with Chinese Ambassador

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

Thursday, August 20, 2020

Minister Al-Sulaiti, Ukraine Infrastructure Minister Witness Initialing of S.C. Olvia Port Concession Agreement

Doha – KievHE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti and HE the Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Mr. Vladyslav Kryklii have witnessed the initialing of the concession agreement for the development and operation of the S.C. Olvia Port - Ukraine, between QTerminals Qatar, QTerminals S.C. Olvia, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, and the State Enterprise Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA), at a virtual signing ceremony in Doha and Kiev via videoconferencing. The event was attended by Chairman of Qatar Navigation (Milaha) HE Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s Ambassador to Ukraine HE Mr. Hadi bin Nasser Al-Hajri and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Qatar HE Mr. Andrii Kuzmenko.The agreement was initialed by QTerminals Qatar CEO Mr. Neville Bissett, QTerminals SC Olvia Executive Director Mr. Mohammed Al Lahham, Ukrainian State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure HE Mr. Buchko Volodymyr Anatoliiovych, and Acting Head of SE USPA HE Mr. Holodnytskyi Oleksandr Hryhorovych.The term of the concession is 35 years, until 2056, during which QTerminals will invest about $140 million to develop the port over the next five years provided that $3.5 million out of that amount is allocated for the restoration of local infrastructure of Mykolaiv, the city where the port is located.Additionally, during the first five years of the concession, QTerminals will invest in establishing a new fully-equipped grain terminal, improve existing warehouses, modernize the road and telecommunications networks and all Olvia utilities and buildings, and set up silos and loading equipment for all modes of transportation, such as railway and freight lines.Commenting on the occasion, HE Minister Al-Sulaiti stressed the strong relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Ukraine and the high level of bilateral cooperation between the two friendly countries.“This concession is a major achievement for QTerminals that honors its strategy for expanding overseas investments as a Qatari company specialized in seaport management,” he said.He noted that awarding the concession is a significant investment opportunity in one of Ukraine’s most important Black Sea ports and that all development works that QTerminals will carry out at the Port of Olvia will contribute to supporting its operations and relevant navigational and logistics services to meet the highest world standards in such a way that will enhance its operational revenues and provide every opportunity for the port to succeed in becoming an international hub for the grain trade.HE the Minister also said that this step will bolster the economic cooperation with Ukrainian and international companies and contribute to supporting the operations of the maritime line between Ukrainian ports and Hamad Port, thus supporting the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.This investment, he noted, will represent a turning point in QTerminals’ contributions to the sustainability of the national economy and the support for efforts to leverage Qatar’s competitiveness on the world map.HE Minister Kryklii said that re-profiling the infrastructure in the region and developing it in such a way that responds to our aspirations and ambitions will give considerable impetus to the development of the region at large.For the Ukraine, the agreement signed with QTerminals is another significant step on the way on widening and re-unlocking the potential of the Port of Olvia, as the company will pay concessions and other fees to the country annually, in addition to QTerminals creating hundreds of new jobs needed by the local community in the city of Mykolaiv.Mr. Bissett said that this agreement is “the first brick in our strategy of international expansion. We have the power, determination, desire and experience to strengthen cooperation between Qatar and Ukraine in the sphere of port production in the Black Sea basin, and we look forward to achieving this in a short period of time.”“We are firmly convinced and confident that the strong management of QTerminals, together with capabilities and expertise of Ukrainian ports will lead to fruitful results and a reality that is built on all factors of success, which we all look forward to,” he added.Established in 1992, S.C. Olvia Port - Ukraine, located in the Mykolaiv region on the Black Sea coast, has been seeing a significant year-on-year increase in grain and oil exports. Mykolaiv is a city in southern Ukraine and one of the region’s principal shipbuilding centers. On an area of 140 hectares, SC Olvia Port has 7 berths and a rail network for transporting cargo inside the port, in addition to several warehouses and storage areas. Its quayside is 1530 meters long.QTerminals was established as a joint venture between the Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and shipping and logistics company Qatar Navigation (Milaha). QTerminals operates Phase 1 of Hamad Port and is currently working on building Phase 2 of the port. Hamad Port has played a key role in making Qatar a regional business hub that boosts tradein the Middle East region as well as the region’s trade with the rest of the world.

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Minister Meets with Ukrainian Ambassador

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

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Ministry Signs MoU with Ashghal on Road Projects

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications has signed an MoU with the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) on planning, studying, designing, maintaining and managing the road projects.The MoU is upgrading the level of collaboration, joint efforts and constructive cooperation between the two sides with the aim of providing a safe, integrated transportation system in line with best universal practices and standards within the tasks and competencies of the two parties. MOTC and Ashghal aim to develop and manage the mobility and transportation projects as an integrated network compatible with other modes of transportation in such an efficient, economic, safe and environment-friendly fashion. The two sides aim to fulfill the needs of the State of Qatar from in mobility and transportation in line with the Second National Development Strategy (2018-2022) and Qatar National Vision 2030.The MoU was signed by MOTC Acting Assistant Undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs Eng. Hamad Essa Abdulla and President of Ashghal HE Dr. Saad bin Ahmed Al Muhannadi.The MoU defines and explains the roles, missions and responsibilities of the two sides based on the Emiri decisions in such a way that avoids duplication and limits overlapping competencies through activating a joint working mechanism for planning, studying, designing, implementing, operating, maintaining and managing the road projects in the country according to approved development plans, implementation priorities and following up the implementation according to the set delivery timelines. This also includes taking all the necessary measures and activating the road assets delivery mechanism after road projects have been carried out by the contractor and the end of the period dedicated for maintenance.Additionally, there will be an activation of a joint working mechanism regarding putting the necessary strategies and plans for maintaining and managing road projects and networks as well as coordinating on resolving the complaints from the public, doing the necessary maintenance works, developing and boosting joint cooperation to benefit from their capabilities in joint fields and stimulating sustainable economic and social development for the State of Qatar.The MoU also covers activating community participation, facilitating cooperation, transferring knowledge and technology for supporting the efforts of achieving Qatar National Vision 2030 in this domain, as well as realizing mutual benefits, services and expertise that each party can make available for the other party.It’s worth mentioning that Land Transport Affairs at MOTC is preparing the necessary studies for planning and designing land transportation networks and railroads and governance of land transportation system in accordance with latest systems and best global practices in the field. This is aimed at widening the scope of the economic movement, catering for the requirements of national development and achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.Ashghal carries out infrastructure projects across the country according to the recommendations of MOTC and the comprehensive plans, strategic studies, concept designs, priorities, recommendations, reports, researches and the like.Signing this MoU reflects the two parties’ interest in coordinating relevant business, bolstering cooperation on planning, designing, implementing and maintaining road projects in Qatar.