By: Zawya

Doha, Qatar: Hamad, Ruwais and Doha ports witnessed a robust 11 percent surge in transshipment volumes in the first half (January to June) of the current year demonstrating that Qatar’s ports are fast becoming a hub of regional trade supported by the state-of-the-art facilities.

“Qatar port’s performance recorded an 11 percent increase in transshipment volumes over the past six months compared to the same period last year, handling over 742,000 TEUs including approximately 368,000 transshipped through Hamad Port. During the same period, vessel arrivals increased by 12 percent, while building materials and RORO experienced growth of 90 percent and 2 percent respectively, Mwani Qatar said in a post on its X platform.

The maritime sector of the country remains strong as it handled 742,789 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container through the ports in January to June period. The three ports received 810,221 tonnes of general and bulk cargo shipments, 56,817 RORO (roll-on/rolloff) units of vehicles, 351,735 heads of livestock and 325,978 tonnes of building materials from January to June 2025. While the number of ships calling on Qatar’s three ports stood at 1,487 in the first six months period.

Hamad Port, Qatar’s main gateway to world trade keeps moving towards more powerful position as one of the key ports in the region demonstrating growth of the country’s maritime sector.

It targets achieving a more efficient logistics services industry in Qatar and the transformation into a leading global trade hub, thus enhancing its economic diversification plans in step with Qatar National Vision 2030.

In June of this year Qatar ports handled over 143,000 tonnes of general and bulk cargo, a 151 percent increase compared to the same month last year. Additionally, the volume of building materials increased by approximately 14 percent compared to June 2024.

With state-of-the-art facilities and cutting edge technology, Hamad Port, Qatar’s main gateway to world trade ensures swift and secure handling of cargo, saving time and effort.

Through Hamad Port, Old Doha Port and Al Ruwais Port, Mwani Qatar endeavours to be a major player in global shipping operations, achieving the objective of transforming Qatar into a vibrant regional trade hub. Hamad Port offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman. It is gateway to marine tourism and plays a major role in promoting marine tourism.

In last year, on the operational front, the ports experienced a 10 percent surge in container handling, reaching 1.455 million TEUs, up from 1.328 million TEUs in 2023. Transshipment activity also witnessed a notable 23 percent increase, totaling 683,552 TEUs by year-end.

Additionally, the total general and bulk cargo volume processed across the ports amounted to 1.910 million tons. The livestock sector saw substantial growth, rising by 22 percent to 543,713 heads, compared to 443,996 heads in 2023. The number of vessels calling at the ports grew by 2 percent, reaching 2,907 ships, while RORO unit handling surged by an impressive 62 percent year-on-year, totaling 130,684 units.