Qatar has emerged as a global case study for public transport electrification, establishing an integrated mobility ecosystem built on high-capacity charging infrastructure and unprecedented fleet adoption levels, according to an industry leader.
“The case in Qatar is actually exceptionally different...Qatar stands as a global case study for public transport electrification, and not just with the buses, but also the intermodality between the public transport in terms of rail, buses, and the first bus mile transportation as well,” according to Ahmed Samir el-Bermbali, managing director for the MENA Region at CharIN and director of Sustainability for the Middle East, Caspian and African Region at Bureau Veritas.
Delivering a keynote address during the opening ceremony of the recently concluded Autonomous e-Mobility Forum (AEMOB) 2026 in Doha, el-Bermbali lauded Qatar’s early commitment to sustainable transport, which has created a permanent national asset.
He noted that Qatar currently operates more than 900 electric buses, accounting for 73% to 74% of its total public transport fleet.
“That is the highest globally in terms of public transport electrification. There is no other country that has this highest level of electrification in public transport already,” he pointed out.
The growth of the national fleet builds on momentum established during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, when 741 electric buses were initially deployed under global scrutiny, el-Bermbali emphasised.
Supporting this public transit system, el-Bermbali said, is a charging infrastructure engineered specifically around real-world operational cycles.
He said Qatar has deployed more than 350 public fast-charging stations managed under Kahramaa’s Tarsheed programme, backed by an installed charging capacity exceeding 125 megawatts to serve the fleet.
Network operational performance has yielded a 97% charging satisfaction rate, which el-Bermbali highlighted as the highest rate in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
Qatar’s smart EV initiatives have also earned international recognition, including a 2025 Gartner Innovation Award for the Tarsheed smart EV platform, alongside the integration of charging infrastructure across Woqod service stations.
Under Qatar National Vision 2030, the country has outlined integrated decarbonisation targets across vehicles, fleets, infrastructure, and emissions. Key objectives include fully electrifying 100% of public transit buses by 2030, a goal where Qatar is already close to completion given its current 73–74% baseline, el-Bermbali said.
The national targets also call for converting 35% of the overall national vehicle fleet to electric power by 2030, targeting commercial taxis, delivery fleets, and corporate vehicles, he further said.
El-Bermbali observed that large commercial fleets convert to electric power far more efficiently than private passenger cars due to centralised decision-making and predictable operational routes.
“In addition, Qatar aims for electric vehicles to represent 10% of total car sales by 2030, alongside achieving a 25% reduction in transport carbon emissions. To support these ambitions, the national roadmap targets 15,000 public charging stations by 2030, complemented by a 10% electric quota on new vehicle fleets introduced since 2025,” he said.
El-Bermbali added that energy infrastructure expansion will also support this demand through a 5-gigawatt solar programme slated for 2035, capable of powering the projected national EV load.