Doha, Qatar: The revamped Doha Port still attracts tourists and vessels after the World Cup, especially during the ‘tourist season,’ an official of the General Authority of Customs (GAC) has said. The new passenger terminal at Doha Port accommodates up to 12,000 people a day.
In April, authorities disclosed that Doha port achieved a record tourist season, registering 273,666 visitor arrival — on board 55 cruises, with an increase of 62%, compared to the previous season. The report also recorded around 19,400 tourists on trips starting from Doha.
“Doha Port still attracts a group of marine travellers departing and entering the country. There is a period called the ‘tourist season’, which is organised in coordination with the Tourism Authority, and passenger ships are received continuously and daily during the scheduled period,” Dr. Abdulhadi Al Sahli, Director of the Maritime Customs Administration, disclosed in the GAC’s monthly newsletter.
Dr. Al Sahli also added that the GAC follows strict inspection processes at the maritime ports. He said all passengers’ possessions are inspected and screened, while goods are thoroughly cross-checked with the required documents before being screened using the X-ray machine.
Also, priority is given to goods in the green lane and goods by companies enrolled in the Authorised Economic Operator programme.
On combating smuggling and illegal commercial activities, he said, “Smuggling is combated according to the targeted and suspicious countries using assistance such as X-ray examination devices, canine and physical inspection.
“As for combating illegal commercial activities, the documents attached to the shipment are studied, and the origin of the goods, quantity, weight and number are confirmed. If any violation is proven, a report of the incident is issued.”
The GAC Maritime Customs Administration monitors the movement of incoming and outgoing goods and passengers and inspects transportation vessels. The administration has six departments: Hamad Port Customs, Al Ruwais Port Customs, Ras Laffan Port Customs, Mesaieed Port Customs, Doha Port Customs, Revenue, and Post-Audit.
According to Dr. Al Sahli, the Hamad and Al Ruwais Port Customs are commercial ports and deal with all types of goods, such as basic foodstuffs, construction materials and building materials.
Ras Laffan and Mesaieed Port Customs departments are industrial ports that serve Qatar’s industrial sector for products such as oil, petrochemicals, gas and primary construction materials. Doha Port, on the other hand, monitors travellers. The Revenue and Post-Audit Department covers completed customs data, recovery requests on pending fees and collecting unpaid fees.
Meanwhile, the GAC announced that it processed 259,751 data in May. The Air Cargo Customs and Private Airports Administration recorded 219,673; Maritime Customs reached 13,262, while Land Customs registered 7,076. Around 98% of processed statements were released within an hour, while 26,381 statements were transferred to other government agencies. The USA and India remained the top import and export countries respectively.
The GAC made 223 seizures, with a 90kg burst of cannabis recorded as the highest in May. The Ministry of Culture was rated the Best Government Agency in average release time at 4.42 hours per completion.
