Qatar Chamber board member Ali bin Abdullatif al-Misnad has said the logistics industry is facing a critical period as geopolitical shifts and route disruptions put pressure on global supply chains and global trade.
Al-Misnad, who is also chairman of the Middle East and Africa Region (RAME) at the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), and president of the Qatar Association for Freight Forwarding and Logistics (QAFL), made the remarks in his opening address at the FIATA RAME Meeting in Milan, Italy.
The event was held alongside the FIATA World Congress 2026 with the participation of key stakeholders from the regional freight forwarding and logistics sector.
Al-Misnad noted that this year’s RAME Meeting gains special significance as it coincides with FIATA’s centenary celebrations, stressing that a century of facilitating global trade has demonstrated that the resilience of the freight forwarding and logistics sector rests on four key pillars: cooperation, innovation, preparedness, and trust.
On the sidelines of the meeting, al-Misnad presented a traditional Qatari bisht to Thomas Sim, president of FIATA, as a gift marking the federation’s 100th anniversary.
Addressing the challenges facing the sector, al-Misnad pointed out that recent regional tensions have caused significant disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and other key transport routes, affecting shipping operations, freight rates, trade flows, and the movement of essential goods. He emphasised the urgent need for agile logistics networks, highlighting how Qatar’s strategic investments in world-class infrastructure, connectivity, and digital transformation have strengthened its logistics resilience and ensured trade continuity.
Al-Misnad also underscored that deepening regional connectivity, accelerating digital customs, developing human capital, and expanding industry-wide collaboration are vital to building an efficient and resilient logistics ecosystem across the Middle East and Africa.
He highlighted the upcoming FIATA RAME Meeting and Logistics Exhibition in Doha, which Qatar Chamber, through QAFL, will host. The event, originally scheduled for November 9 to 10, 2026, was rescheduled to the first quarter of 2027 due to current regional circumstances.
Al-Misnad invited FIATA representatives and regional stakeholders to attend the Doha meeting and build on the dialogue initiated in Milan, further strengthening regional co-operation and advancing the freight forwarding and logistics sector.
