DOHA: Starting the new year on a positive note, the ports in the country have witnessed a strong increase in traffic as Hamad Port, Doha Port and Ruwais Port hosted 381 vessels in January, according to Mwani Qatar.
The ports handled 135,956 cattle heads in the first month of the current year compared to 64,026 cattle in December last year, showing a whopping rise of 112 percent. Similarly, 22,641 tonnes of aggregates were handled in January against 15,629 tonnes in December, reflecting an increase of 45%. Likewise, ro-ro cargo (wheeled cargo) witnessed 58% rise as 6,584 units were handled in January against 4,169 units in December.
These ports handled 103,996 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) containers and 136,511 tonnes of general cargo in January, tweeted Mwani Qatar. In terms of total traffic, 2017 was a record-breaking year for Mwani Qatar with regard to meeting challenges and expanding global marine connectivity.
In 2017, these ports handled 1.26m tonnes of general cargo, 772,835 TEUs containers, 857,429 cattle heads and 578,654 tonnes of aggregates and 3,869 vessels. The positive momentum in the country’s maritime trade will get stronger in the ongoing year as Qatar has opened new trade routes and has diversified its source of supply. After the unjust siege, the authorities took several initiatives to strengthen maritime trade and ensure smooth supply of goods for residents.
Mwani Qatar in cooperation with partners had, in the second half of 2017, inaugurated a number of new direct shipping lines between Hamad Port and other ports in the region and beyond. It manages seaports, quays, dry ports, container and other terminals, including cruise and passengers and provides navigation assistance and pilotage, towage as well as Aids to Navigation (AtoN) in addition to loading, unloading and handling and storage of cargos. The company is closely involved in the development of seaports and related services to the highest internationally recognised standards of safety, security and quality.
