Qatar’s ports reflect buoyant trade sentiments in August

Reflecting trade buoyancy, Qatar’s Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports saw almost tripled cargo tonnage and robust double-digit expansion in RORO (automobiles) and building materials handling, as there was a steady year-on-year growth in the ships’ arrival this August, according to Mwani Qatar.
The number of ships calling on Qatar’s three ports stood at 276 in August 2021, which was 4.94% higher on a yearly basis. However, it declined 7.38% month-on-month basis. As many as 2,226 ships had called on these ports during the first eight months of this year.
Qatar Chamber recently said the country’s foreign trade and private sector’s exports have been showing promising results, indicating that the Qatari economy has witnessed a remarkable recovery from the negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic.
The general cargo handled through the three ports stood at 148,481 tonnes in August 2021, which registered a 188.59% and 128.83% surge on a yearly and monthly basis respectively.
On a cumulative basis, the general cargo movement through the three ports totalled 1.09mn tonnes in January-August this year. Hamad Port alone handled 145,339 freight tonnes of break-bulk in August this year.
Hamad Port features an intermodal transport network that offers direct and indirect shipping services to more than 100 destinations, facilitating efficient transportation and logistics services locally and abroad. Its multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock and can handle 1mn tonnes of cereals and 500,000 vehicles annually as well as livestock.
Hamad Port’s strategic geographical location offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman. As many as 132 vessels had called on this port in August this year.
“Hamad Port’s second container terminal is designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhancing ease of doing business in Qatar as well as supporting the achievement of economic diversification, which is one of the important goals of Qatar National Vision 2030,” Mwani Qatar said.
The container handling through the three ports stood at 125,568 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), which grew 10.35% and 3.15% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in August 2021. The container handling stood at 1.07mn TEUs in January-August this year.
The Hamad Port, which is the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, alone saw 122,333 TEUs of containers handling in August 2021.
The building materials handled amounted to 42,516 tonnes in August this year, which surged 52.48% and 21.72% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively.
A total of 407,044 tonnes of building materials had been handled by these three ports during the first eight months of this year. The rebound of business activities, especially in the construction sector; rather corroborates the Qatar Financial Centre’s positive outlook on the non-energy private sector.
The three ports had handled 6,844 vehicles (RORO) in August 2021, which shot up 67.29% and 24.01% year-on-year and month-on-month. They together handled 51,899 vehicles during January-August this year. Hamad Port alone handled 6,773 units in August this year.
The three ports were seen handling 4,499 livestock in August compared to nil in the previous year period. It had seen an 87.88% shrinkage month-on-month. The ports had handled 211,264 heads during the first eight months of this year.