HE the Minister for Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada yesterday inaugurated Qatar’s first-ever indigenously-built barge named Al-Ghatroushah at the Erhama bin Jaber al-Jalahma Shipyard at the Ras Laffan port’s Southern Breakwater close to Al Khor town. The solid submergible platform to load and unload vessels from cargo ships has been described as a significant milestone in the country’s short but eventful marine engineering history. Capable of handling 10,425 tonnes of cargo, the barge was built as part of a $3bn project that also includes developing six phases of the state-of-the-art shipyard. Photos show al-Sada unveiling the name of the barge (above) and the minister with the shipyard officials.
