Qatar records 39% year-on-year jump in transshipment volumes in October

Qatar's maritime sector witnessed a robust 39% year-on-year jump in transshipment volumes this October, as 118,448 containers and 77,868 tonnes of cargo were handled at the Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports, according to Mwani Qatar.As many as 263 ships had called on Qatar's three ports in October 2023, which however was lower by 1.13% and 17.55% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in October 2023, the official data suggested.Hamad Port – whose strategic geographical location offers opportunities to create cargo movement towards the upper Gulf, supporting countries such as Kuwait and Iraq and south towards Oman – saw as many as 144 vessels call (excluding military) on the port in the review period.A total of 2,320 ships had called on the three ports during January-October this year.The three ports were seen handling 41,959 livestock in October 2023, which showed 46.83% and 90.34% surge on monthly and yearly basis respectively. As many as 387,266 livestock heads were handled by three ports during the first 10 months of this year.The building materials traffic through the three ports stood at 54,679 tonnes in October 2023, which soared 21.3% month-on-month but was down 4.22% on an annualised basis.As much as 455,822 tonnes of building materials were handled by Hamad, Doha and Al Ruwais ports during the 10-month ended October 2023.The three ports handled 6,494 RORO (vehicles) in October 2023, which registered an 8.04% growth on a monthly basis but declined 2.49% year-on-year.Hamad Port alone handled 6,483 units in October this year. A total of 66,586 RORO units were handled by three ports during January-October 2023.Qatar's automobile sector has been witnessing stronger sales, especially in heavy equipment, private motorcycles and private vehicles, according to the latest data of the Planning and Statistics Authority.The container handling through the three ports shrank 2.58% and 7.72% month-on-month and year-on-year respectively in October this year.The container terminals have been designed to address the increasing trade volume, enhance ease of doing business and support economic diversification, which is one of the most vital goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030.Hamad Port, which is the largest eco-friendly project in the region and internationally recognised as one of the largest green ports in the world, saw 117,708 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers handled this October. The container volume at the three ports totalled 1.1mn TEUs during January-October 2023.The general and bulk cargo handled through the three ports reported 52.26% and 51.7% plunge on monthly and yearly basis respectively in the review period.Hamad Port – whose multi-use terminal is designed to serve the supply chains for the RORO, grains and livestock – handled as much as 57,297 freight tonnes of breakbulk and 16,289 freight tonnes of bulk in October this year.A total of 1.54mn freight tonnes of general and bulk cargoes were handled by the three ports during the first 10 months of this year.