Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) has announced that a 'port market' will open soon at Ruwais Port to establish it as "the northern gateway to commercial trade in Qatar".
A post on the Twitter page of Mwani Qatar informed about the next phase of Ruwais Port's development. The market will serve as a facility from where one can buy a "wide range of international products from commercial ships calling on the port". It is expected be handed over to traders later this year.
A video presentation by Mwani Qatar provides details of the Port Market Project, stressing that the Ruwais Port is strategically located in the centre of the Arabian Gulf and hence receives a wide variety of commercial goods.
"The second phase of the three-phase port development, which is currently under way, includes the establishment of a regional commercial market. It is expected to serve the commercial needs of the northern side of Qatar," according to Mwani Qatar.
Besides boosting economic activity in the northern parts of the country, the port also seeks to become a trading hub for goods from neighbouring countries.
The market at Ruwais Port will feature "state-of-the-art" facilities and services, ranging from a mosque, a lounge and a cafeteria to restrooms and offices for supervisory bodies, according to the presentation.
The market will be spread over some 6,700sqm in the first phase, while future expansion will see the facility cover an additional 3,200sqm. "The Ruwais Port Market Project, which is currently under construction, will be handed over to traders later this year," Mwani Qatar added.
In another boost to trade to and from Qatar, the ports management firm had recently informed that the Ocean Alliance, the world's largest maritime alliance, had resumed its service to the country after it was disrupted by the ongoing siege.
The alliance includes five of the largest shipping companies with a fleet of more than 350 vessels and a capacity of over 3.5mn TEUs.
A view of Ruwais Port. PICTURE: Mwani Qatar
