* Three-day Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition begins
HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif al-Sulaiti underscored that the transport sector's plans linked to Qatar National Vision 2030 do not stop at a certain limit, noting that in 2022 everyone will see an integrated public transport system in the country, with applications and an integrated linkage system for access destinations that could be the first of its kind in the Middle East if not in the world.
This came in a statement by HE al-Sulaiti on the sidelines of the three-day Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition, which started Monday. Organised by the Qatar Society of Engineers under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MoTC), the event is the first of its kind, as it is characterised by its comprehensiveness in discussing the three recognised branches of transportation (land, air and sea).
The conference is not only concerned with means of transport, but also discusses the ability to use engineering standards and prepare appropriate designs, research, development, and follow-up everything new in the transportation engineering sector, and even offering alternatives to engineering solutions for road, railway and airport projects, as well as choosing the most appropriate technical and economic solutions, in an attempt to develop and update everything related to this sector.
HE the Minister stressed the importance of the conference and the exhibition in capacity-building, strengthening co-operation and exchanging ideas between all the participating parties or those associated with transportation, whether from MoTC or the Qatar Society of Engineers, as well as the supporting bodies and those operating in the Qatari market, pointing out that the process of linking all these people with one system and idea, will allow them to see the developments in the transport sector.
The conference and exhibition represent a great opportunity to present what has been accomplished, whether before or after 2022 in the transport sector, he added. HE the Minister pointed out that the transport sector is linked to the Qatar National Vision 2030, explaining that a very large part was implemented before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and that a large part will also be implemented from the beginning of 2023.
He explained that there is always a clear vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and a clear vision of the strategies of MoTC to build an advanced transport system that emulates the most advanced countries. He said that during the coming year, everyone will see an integrated public transport system in Qatar, with applications and an integrated linkage system for access destinations that could be the first of its kind to be adopted in the Middle East region and even in the whole world, in addition to that 30% of transportation in Qatar will become environmentally friendly.
HE the Minister pointed out that public transportation does not mean only passengers, but also goods, supplies, and other means of transport from "bicycles to planes," stressing that Qatar's future in this sector is prosperous and constantly advanced. Regarding the Hamad International Airport expansion project, HE the Minister said that the ministry is committed to the date set by the Steering Committee in the second quarter of 2022, and it is working in full swing to complete this project on time so that the airport will be almost ready on or before this date.
He added that Qatar will have two airports ready to receive any increased numbers arriving in the country, stressing that the ability of the State to host the FIFA World Cup event will amaze the world. HE the Minister inaugurated the specialised exhibition accompanying the conference. During his tour of its pavilions, he was briefed on the quality of its participation in the various sectors of transportation as the exhibition allows the participating public and private agencies to display their products, engineering solutions, and everything new in this field.
HE the Minister honoured the sponsors of the conference. For his part, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Society for Engineers Eng Khalid bin Ahmed al-Nasr said that the Transport Engineering Conference and Exhibition is the first of its kind organised by the Society in Qatar, and it will address the three main axes of the land, sea and air transport and engineering.
He explained that in the land field, the conference will address issues related to infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, tunnels, the rail network, trams, and highways, while in the maritime sector, the conference will highlight ports, and the latest methods of customs clearance and organising the storage of goods in the ports.
As for air transport, the conference will address the subject of airports, recreational areas associated with them, types of aircraft and everything new in the field of aviation, in addition to other findings in the three areas, as well as topics that highlight the transportation engineering techniques, he added. He thanked the sponsors and participating parties, explaining that the three-days conference will deal with about 25 papers and that 24 parties will participate in the accompanying exhibition.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, Deputy CEO at Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) Abdulla al-Misnad said that the authority is one of the institutions that seek to attract investments in vital sectors. In this context, he reviewed a number of global partnership projects that it is hosting in the transport and communications sector, including those related to modern technical solutions.
He also pointed out the authority's ongoing relations with the concerned authorities and local investors, to provide the appropriate environment by hosting a number of transport-related projects in its various sectors, which reflects the state's ambition and commitment to become a leading regional centre in this field — based on its belief in its significance. Qatar had an early understanding of the importance of developing and modernising the infrastructure of the transportation sector to support the various economic, industrial and service sectors, especially in light of the rapid population growth and the strong economic expansion that the country has witnessed during the past years.