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Qatar's maritime sector began 2026 on a solid note with Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports witnessing a year-on-year (y-o-y) growth, particularly in the container and bulk cargo segments this January, according to Mwani Qatar.As many as 230 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in January 2026, which was lower by 8.73% and 1.77% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively.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.The container movement through three ports amounted to 128,229 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), shooting up 3.17% and 15.75% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in the review period.Hamad Port, the largest eco-friendly project in the region, had in January seen the berthing of container ship MSC REEF, one of the largest vessels in the MSC Cargo fleet, measuring 398.4m in length and 59m in width, with a capacity of 19,224 TEUs.Its arrival reflects the high operational efficiency of Hamad Port and its readiness to receive the world’s largest container ships.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhancing ease of doing business as well as supporting the achievement of economic diversification, which is one of the most important goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.The general cargo handled through three ports amounted to 94,626 freight tonnes in January 2026, which however, shrank 33.56% and 24.36% on yearly and monthly basis respectively. The bulk cargo handled through the three ports amounted to as much 44,675 freight tonnes in January 2026.Hamad Port's multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock.The container and cargo trends through the ports reflect the positive outlook for the country's non-oil private sector.In line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030, Mwani Qatar continues to implement its ambitious strategy to enhance the maritime sector's contribution to diversifying the national economy and strengthening the county's position as a vibrant regional trade hub.The three ports were seen handling 26,150 livestock in January 2026, which showed 55.53% and 8.67% contraction year-on-year and month-on-month respectively.The three ports witnessed as many as 10,151 RORO in January 2026, which registered 20.95% and 21.05% shrinkage year-on-year and month-on-month respectively.Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, notably in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the data of the National Planning Council. 

The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change's Marine Protection Department has spotted an environmental violation involving the entry of three marine vessels into the fishing harbour of Bu Zuluf, located west of Al-Ruwais Port, where they collided with the coral reefs.A field inspection team from the ministry’s Marine Protection Department examined the site and found topographical changes to the seabed caused by the direct contact of the vessels with the coral reefs. This resulted in the destruction of coral structures, a reduction in the percentage of live coral cover, and erosion and sedimentation in parts of the reef area due to the collision.The ministry explained that these damages negatively affected the rich biodiversity of the area, home to many fish, invertebrates, and marine organisms associated with the coral reef ecosystem.The ministry stressed that it has taken the necessary legal measures against the violators, while confirming its continued efforts to intensify the protection of natural resources and monitor and detect any environmental violations against the country’s marine ecosystems.

Qatar's maritime sector saw higher vessels traffic through its Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports in August 2025, translating into robust expansion across containers, cargoes and building materials on both yearly and monthly basis, according to the official statistics.The increased maritime activities is indicative of the strong performance, especially of the non-hydrocarbons private sector and is in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030, as Mwani Qatar continues to implement its ambitious strategy to enhance the sector's contribution to diversifying the economy and strengthening the county's position as a regional trade hub.As many as 290 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in August 2025, which was higher by 21.85% and 8.21% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively.Hamad Port, whose strategic geographical location offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman, saw as many as 165 vessels call (excluding military) on the port in the review period. The three ports had seen a total of 2,045 vessels in the first eight months of this year.The general and bulk cargo handled through the three ports amounted to 254,528 freight tonnes in August 2025, which zoomed 129.25% and 8.58% on yearly and monthly basis respectively.Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock – handled as much as 108,026 freight tonnes of bulk and 120,710 freight tonnes of breakbulk in August this year. The three ports together handled as much as 1.3mn cargoes in January-August 2025.The container movement through three ports amounted to 126,481 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), which surged 10.07% and 8.13% year-on-year and month-on-month respectively in the review period.Hamad Port, the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, alone handled 124,757 TEUs of containers handled this August. The three ports together handled a total of 986,240 TEUs of containers during January-August 2025.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhancing ease of doing business as well as supporting the achievement of economic diversification, which is one of the most important goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.The building materials traffic through the three ports stood at 72,535 tonnes in August 2025, which zoomed 453.7% and 37.7% on an annualised and monthly basis respectively. The three ports together handled as much as 451,190 tonnes of building materials during the first eight months of this year.The three ports were seen handling 20,002 livestock heads in August 2025, which however showed 16.68% and 29.2% plunge year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. The ports had handled as many as 399,987 livestock heads during January-August 2025.The three ports handled 9,254 RORO in August 2025, which registered 14.35% and 27.69% contraction year-on-year and month-on-month respectively. Hamad Port alone handled 9,224 units in the review period. The three ports together handled as many as 78,869 units in the first eight months of this year.Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, notably in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the data of the National Planning Council.