HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will formally open the prestigious Hamad Port in the Umm Al Houl area today.

The port, in the south of Doha, will help launch a new phase in Qatar’s history, reported Gulf Times. 

The launching is expected to constitute an advanced step towards boosting the country's economic and trade movement in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Hamad Port is the largest such facility in the Middle East, with an annual capacity of 7.5m twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU). The port is expected to make a paradigm shift in Qatar’s economic diversification and competitiveness, import and re-export of goods, reported The Peninsula.

The Hamad Port is spread over an area of 28.5sqkm. The port’s basin is 4km in length, 700M in width and 17M in depth and is capable os receiving the world’s biggest ships.

The port has general cargo terminal with a capacity of 1.7m tonnes annually, a terminal for cereals with a capacity of 1m tonnes, a terminal to receive vehicles with a capacity of 500,000 vehicles, a terminal for livestock, a terminal for coastguard vessels and a terminal for marine support and backup. 

The port has been playing a vital role in offsetting the impact of the unjust blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5 by opening several new shipping routes to allow the continuous flow of goods to the country.

The new routes connect Qatar ports to Sohar and Salalah ports in Oman, Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait, Karachi port in Pakistan, Izmir port in Turkey as well as Mundra and Nhava Sheva ports in India. 

The $7.4bn port is the newest among the six ports extending along the country's coasts — Doha, Mesaieed, Haloul, Ras Laffan and Ruwais, reported Qatar Tribune.

A container can be unloaded and delivered to the importer in just 20 minutes, with an average of 30 containers per hour. Customs and other entities will facilitate importers.

The port can handle about 2 million containers per year within the first phase of operation. Once all the three phases are completed, it can handle 7.6m containers per year.

Picture courtesy: Qatar Tribune