To accommodate the growing number of boats and ships in the country, around 1,000 new berths will be developed at Al Ruwais, Al Wakrah, Al Khor and Al Dhakira harbours.
The project for providing more berthing spaces at the four harbours will be jointly executed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar).
Work on the project would start in the next few months and is expected to be completed in a year-and-a-half.
This was announced at a joint press conference addressed by Nasser Qadar, Director of Maritime Transport Licensing and Planning Department of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Mohamed Saeed Al Mohannadi, Director of Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment and Eng. Nabil Alkhaldi, Engineering Director of the Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar).
Eng. Nabil Alkhaldi said that following directives of Minister of Transport and Communications H E Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Mwani Qatar had been commissioned to prepare the necessary studies to initiate a project for ship and boat berthing at four of Qatar’s key fishing harbors.
He said that Mwani Qatar had done comprehensive planning and technical studies under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Communications and engineering designs and drawings of around 1,000 berths at four harbors had been approved.
Saeed Al Mohannadi said that four harbours had been selected on the basis of careful, detailed studies. “The new berthing spaces will be allocated to ship and boat owners. These spaces will be separate but adjacent to those berthing spaces which are used by fishermen,” said Al Mohannadi.
He said that the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Communications and Mwani Qatar was all set to execute the project which would contribute to providing solutions for ship and boat owners.
Nasser Qadir from the Ministry of Transport and Communications said that efforts were accelerated to provide solutions for ship and boat owners by allocating berthing locations for them seeing the growing number of registered private ships and boats. Nasser Qadir from the Ministry of Transport and Communications said a committee, established by Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, formed a work group that conducted studies and drafted plans for the establishment of the berthing spaces. “Headed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the committee has representation from all governmental bodies concerned,” he added.
He said berthing locations had been marked at four harbors of Al Ruwais, Al Khor, Al Zakhira and Al Wakra. “These harbors are state owned, operated by Ministry of Municipality and Environment and are increasingly frequented by many ships,” he observed.
Qadar said the project and its budget had been approved, and implementation was commissioned by Ministry of Transport and Communications to Mwani Qatar.
Alkhaldi, Engineering Director of Mwani Qatar said the project would be executed on public-private partnership basis and would begin in few months. “Work is underway for public tender, followed by the award of the project, which should be completed in less than a year and half,” he said.
Alkhaldi said Mwani Qatar, supervised by Ministry of Transport and Communications, would be complying with the use of the best materials and making sure those materials meet the highest safety and quality standards in order to ensure they are effective, sustainable and eco-friendly.
