In October 2021, Hamad Port became the first 5G-enabled seaport in the Middle East.

Qatar’s share in overall Middle East trade is expected to surge drastically as a result of the robust technological infrastructure at Hamad Port’s second container terminal, Mwani’s report explained.

The terminal, also known as CT2, launched operations in the Umm Al Houl area, south of the capital Doha in 2020

Hamad Port, Doha’s main gateway for access to world trade, experienced successful trade activity in 2021, according to Mwani Annual Report 2021.

The port received 1750 vessels and handled 1.52 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) worth of containers, 1.57 million tonnes general cargo, 45,594 livestock heads, and 72,223 units of vehicles during the year.

Mwani Qatar’s ports attained a container throughput of 1.57 million TEUs, nine percent higher than the 1.44 million TEUs moved two years ago, with a 36% increase in the trans-shipments, prompting it to reach 5,62,539 TEUs by the end of 2021.

The year 2021 is marked as the first year of operations for Hamad Port CT2 which bore promising results. The opening of phases one and two of CT2 increases the port’s total TEU capacity to three million per year.

The general cargo handled through ports stood at 1.63 million tonnes last year, which was up by 8.7% from 2020’s 1.5 million tonnes. Building materials traffic in 2021 was also strong as the ports moved 592,452 tonnes, signalling a dramatic 66% surge from the 357,000 tonnes recorded in the year before.

The ports received 3,355 ships during 2021, a rise of 1.36% over 2020, as well as 332,761 head of livestock and 73,039 vehicles, which registered a 19.34% increase year-on-year.

Doha’s maritime sector is expected to witness another year of robust expansion due to the country’s efforts in boosting goods traffic at the ports, with expectations of supply chains improving during the upcoming periods.

Another such accomplishment in 2021 is Hamad Port’s status in becoming the first 5G-enabled seaport in the Middle East, after the completion of the 5G roll-out for Phase 1 at the port’s Container Terminal 2 by Ooredoo.

The new technology enables port users to “leverage the capabilities of 5G in remote crane and rubber-tyred gantry operations, connected assets, remote inspection and maintenance, data centre connectivity and many more use cases,” the report detailed.

Ruwais port activity

Last year saw another successful year for Qatar’s port trade activity as Ruwais Port, which handled 1,605 vessels including general cargo vessels, dhows and landing crafts as well as 284,289 head of livestock. That year alone, the port exchanges experienced an expansion of more than 50% compared to the year before, 2020.

The general cargo handled by the port in 2021 also went up by 20% to reach 63,770 tons by the end of December.

“The significant growth in handling volumes coincides with the endeavours of Mwani Qatar to enhance the port’s role in the Qatari economy and a greater contribution to the country’s gross domestic product in accordance with the strategic plan of the Ministry of Transport and Communications,” the report said.

Al Ruwais port provides a “ready solution” by acting as a portal for incoming fresh commodities from neighbouring countries. These also include frozen and chilled commodities being received in reefer containers.

The port leads a role in facilitating further accessibility to boost regional commercial shipments and to catalyse the economy of Qatar’s northern area.