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Nakilat is entering a decisive growth phase with 18 of its 40 new vessels scheduled for delivery by 2027.This was disclosed by Nakilat chief executive officer Abdullah al-Sulaiti at its latest in-house magazine Voyages."The completion of long-term financing for 25 LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers has progressed well, which further strengthens our ability to compete successfully in the market," he said.Its financial performance continues to be "exceptional", with the first half of 2025 recording a year-on-year net profit growth of 3.7%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the disciplined approach to operations, cost management and asset reliability, he added.Highlighting that its industry relationships continue to expand; he said recent agreements with global partners in engineering, energy systems and marine technology reflect its readiness to embrace innovation and advance sustainable solutions for the long term."These partnerships position us well as the energy transition accelerates and decarbonisation enters a period of reflection and recalibration across the global maritime sector and Qatar’s wider energy ecosystem," according to him.In this regard, Nakilat said its Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions has signed a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai Hudong Marine Valve Manufacturing and Siemens Energy, as well as entered into a strategic partnership with WinGD.Looking ahead, he said, its priorities remain clear: anticipating customer needs, responding faster and owning outcomes, end-to-end."Safety, customer centricity, operational excellence and cost discipline will continue to guide every decision we make," al-Sulaiti said, encouraging everyone, across vessels, shipyards, joint ventures, and offices, to improvise and keep contributing with ideas, solutions and a spirit of collaboration.He said across its fleet, shipyards, and offices, safety culture continues to go beyond compliance and is becoming the second nature to its workforce. "This mindset shapes our daily decisions and guides how we work together. This was evident once again at the recent Fleet Officers meeting, where ship and shore teams reinforced transparent reporting, shared responsibility and the behaviours that protect lives and strengthen performance," he said.Stressing that people and capability development remain two of the central priorities; he highlighted the memorandum of understanding signed between Nakilat and the University of Doha for Science and Technology to support several programmes including the Marine Engineering Technology programme, marking an important step towards developing Qatar’s next generation of maritime leaders."Collaborations such as maritime scholarship programmes and new cadet initiatives reflect our long-term commitment to shaping a skilled and future-ready national workforce, aligned with the demands of our expanding fleet," al-Sulaiti said.Nakilat SvitzerWisjmuller (NSW), a joint venture established in 2006 between Nakilat and Svitzer Middle East to manage Nakilat’s towage services, delivered an impressive 98.97% uptime, keeping operations seamless and clients fully supported."With towage operations up 2.6% year-to-date, we are poised to surpass the 14,000 harbour tug jobs record set by the company last year," the magazine said. 

Qatar Sunday kicked off the 2025/26 cruise season at the Old Doha Port, welcoming MSC Euribia, operated by MSC Cruises, carrying 5,000 passengers and a crew of 1,676 members. One of the newest and largest vessels in the MSC fleet, MSC Euribia spans 331m in length and 43m in width, accommodating up to 6,327 guests and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) for cleaner, more sustainable voyages, Mwani Qatar said in its social medial handle X. Throughout the season, which runs until May 2026, the ship will make 22 scheduled calls at The Terminal, managed by Mwani Qatar — reaffirming Qatar's growing prominence as a premier destination on the global cruise tourism map. Last week, a coordination meeting was held as part of the preparations for 2025/26 cruise season, bringing together stakeholders, agents, and tour operators to discuss operational plans and coordination efforts to ensure a successful season and an exceptional visitor experience. Qatar has proven to be one of the most sought after luxury cruise destinations in the Arabian Gulf’s winter cruise season. To support the tremendous growth of the industry, Mwani Qatar plays a key role in the redevelopment of the port and its facilities. Doha port provides a wide range of passenger facilities, including seamless immigration, customs, foreign exchange, taxi and bus stands, city bus tours as well as Qatar Duty Free, cafe, waiting areas for cruise passengers and staff. It also features various tourist information services offered by Qatar Tourism. Relevant Mwani Qatar marine services within the port are offered to the vessels calling at Doha Port, ensuring safe and efficient arrival and departure. Mwani Qatar works closely with Qatar Tourism and the Ministry of Interior to develop the cruise industry which has seen a remarkable increase in the passenger arrivals over the years. Qatar's 2024/25 cruise season had welcomed more than 396,000 visitors aboard 87 cruise ships, marking a 5% jump in visitors and a 19% rise in vessel calls against the previous season. Doha Port’s cruise terminal is strategically located minutes away from key attractions such as the National Museum of Qatar and Souq Waqif, optimising the visitor experience by allowing cruise passengers to make the most of their time in the city. Qatar Tourism plans to strengthen its collaborations with more international cruise lines, which is vital for driving further growth in Qatar’s tourism sector and contributing to Qatar’s economic diversification efforts. "Doha has become a prominent cruise destination with varied tourism experiences offered to visitors. From its debut in October 2023 to its grand finale in April 2024, this cruise season has exceeded all expectations breaking the records of visitors and cruise ships from previous seasons. The Grand Cruise Terminal symbolising Qatar's commitment to excellence” Saad bin Ali al-Kharji, chairman of Qatar Tourism had said. Qatar is gaining popularity as a world-class cruise destination in the region as it showcased exceptional tourism capabilities, especially after hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In this regard, efforts are currently underway to attract more cruise lines and travelers in the upcoming seasons.