HH The Emir officially inaugurates pathbreaking Hamad Port

Qatar’s aspirations to beat the illegal siege of Qatar, which began on June 5, got a solid boost when HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani threw open the doors to the iconic Hamad Port, which is expected to be a game changer.

While it was not explicitly acknowledged, the date of opening was symbolic as it coincided with the completion of three months of blockade by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.       

The new Hamad Port is part of a wider plan to increase Qatar’s non-petroleum exports, reported Al Jazeera.

The port’s opening will help Qatar achieve food security and economic diversification in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

The $7.4bn Hamad Port is expected to rake in some QR2.5bn in direct and indirect investments once fully operational, reported Gulf Times.

HH The Emir officially opened the Hamad Port by placing its logo on the project model of the 28.5sqkm port, whose full capacity will exceed 7.5mn containers per year on completion of all its construction phases.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Interior HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and Speaker of the Advisory Council HE Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khulaifi also attended the inauguration, according to The Peninsula.

The inauguration ceremony began with the national anthem, performed by the Qatar Armed Forces Military Band. It was followed by a video clip — the bird of goodness — that embodied the story of Qatar's prosperity and development from the past to the present.

Minister of Transport and Communications HE Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti said the port was completed ahead of schedule and below the budget. 

He said the port’s opening proven beyond doubt Qatar’s flexibility and steadfastness when it comes to facing challenges without compromising on values, traditions and aspirations.

“The opening of the Hamad Port gives the country all the reasons to keep its head up, given the amount of difficulties it has overcome and the challenges it has faced,” he was quoted as saying by Qatar Tribune.

Picture courtesy: The Peninsula