QTerminals is a terminal operating company jointly established by Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar – 51% shareholding) and Qatar Navigation (Milaha – 49% shareholding) and is responsible for enabling Qatar’s imports and exports, its maritime trade flows and stimulating economic growth locally and regionally.
QTerminals provides container, general cargo, RORO, livestock and offshore supply services in Phase 1 of Hamad Port, Qatar’s gateway to world trade. QTerminals was established to provide consistent, quality services to its clients and enable smoother trade flows internationally. With a focus on employing and retaining the brightest talents, QTerminals aims to be, within three years, the best terminal operator in the region in terms of overall quality of service and client satisfaction. Its long term vision is to be recognised internationally as the most reliable terminal operator and an enabler for the economic growth of Qatar.
The progress made at Hamad Port since its opening in December 2016 is substantial. Monthly volumes have increased by more than twofold, from an average of just over 65,000 TEUs per month to 136,000 TEUs per month. To date, we have handled over 5.4 million TEUs, over 12 million tons of general cargo and almost 303,000 vehicle units (via RORO), all from the start of operations. This increase is driven by our continuing efforts to maintain the highest levels of productivity and service delivery without compromising on safety and quality. Our key objectives are to continue to operate safely, improve productivity, offer value-added services, and grow the business in a structured and sustainable way.
Being a new development, Hamad Port has invested in and uses the latest and most technologically advanced equipment, Terminal Operating Systems (TOS), facilities and services. We have a world class IT infrastructure in place, and we are constantly updating our TOS, Jade and Navis N4, to maintain an operational advantage. Automated access and internal movement management systems will be online soon. Hamad Port is also developing a Port Community System (PCS), which optimizes, manages and automates document transfer and port and logistics processes and procedures through a single submission of data. A PCS enables the intelligent, high-speed, and secure exchange of information. We also have investments planned for the Container Terminal and General Cargo Terminals, the Multi-User Terminal (RORO & Livestock) and the Offshore Supply Terminal. These investments are necessary to ensure Hamad Port is well-positioned for future growth.
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. In support of our ongoing efforts to attract other shipping lines to the port, we are positioning Hamad Port as a transshipment hub for the upper Gulf and Oman. We also see significant potential in non-containerized cargo, which we are working to expand.
Qatar’s major trade partners include China, the United States, Europe, and Japan. The world’s largest shipping companies and other main line operators have started or have expressed interest in starting services to Hamad Port, and many are expanding their existing routes. New routes include services from China/the Far East and Bangladesh, and established routes that have expanded include the Far East, India/Pakistan, Oman, and Europe/the Mediterranean region