Qatar announces 13 new shipping lines

Qatar Ports Management Company will announce 13 new shipping lines, including five lines in the coming days and eight on 15 October, the country’s minister of transport announced yesterday.

In an interview on Qatar TV, Jassim Al Sulaiti said the Gulf state setup alternative shipping lines as soon as the blockade began against it in early June. This includes routes through Oman with direct links to India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iran.

On 5 June Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, claiming it supports terrorism. Doha denies the allegations and says it faces a campaign of “fabrications” and “lies”.

Hamad Port currently caters for 27 per cent of regional trade, Al Sulaiti said, adding that “the port’s ambition is to acquire 35 per cent by 2019.”

Read: Our economy can withstand the blockade says Qatar

Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, officially inaugurated the country’s largest port, Hamad Port, last week.

“We will export various commodities and products from Doha to 130 countries around the world with a capacity of 180,000 containers per year,” Al Sulaiti added.