As delegated by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, took part in the official opening ceremony of Hamad Port under the auspices of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of the sisterly State of Qatar in Umm Al Houl, south of Doha on Tuesday. Hamad Port is considered as one of the largest and modern ports in the region, with capability to attract more than one third of the Middle East trade, besides providing more than 200 per cent of the Qatari market needs. The Port spreads over 28.5 square kilometres, with 4 km long, 700 metres wide and 17 metres deep. These specifications enable it to receive the world’s biggest ships.
The capacity of Hamad Port is to reach 7.5 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) annually on completion of all construction phases. It has a general cargo terminal with a capacity of 1.7 million tons annually, a terminal for cereals with a capacity of one million tons annually, a terminal to receive vehicles with an annual capacity of 500,000, a terminal for livestock, a terminal for coastguard vessels and a terminal for marine support and backup. Hamad Port applies the highest standards of safety and security. The delegation accompanying Dr Futaisi comprised Najeeb bin Yahya al Balushi, Sultanate’s Ambassador to the State of Qatar and some officials. — ONA
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