Minister briefs IMO chief on Hamad Port

The new Hamad Port will help Qatar become a major trade hub, HE the Minister of Transport Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti has stressed.He made the observation during a meeting with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) secretary-general Koji Sekimizu at the organisation’s headquarters in London. The meeting took place during the participation of Qatar’s delegation, headed by HE al-Sulaiti, in the 29th Assembly of the IMO in London, which is taking place until December 4.At the meeting, HE the Transport Minister informed Sekimizu about the special code developed for Hamad Port.The code has been officially registered with the United Nations and, in turn, circulated among relevant bodies, including the IMO, which is the global standard-setting authority for the maritime industry.HE al-Sulaiti gave a detailed explanation about Hamad Port, its capacity and the use of latest technology. The facility will be partially opened for operations by December-end, including the general cargo loading and discharging terminal as well as terminals for importing vehicles and building equipment. These efforts come in preparation for the launch of full operations, as part of the first phase, towards the end of 2016. This will boost Qatari exports and imports and increase marine trade volume between Qatar and the rest of the world, making the country a major trade hub.The IMO deals with the issuance of maritime conventions aimed at achieving the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping.The Minister stressed, during the meeting, that Qatar believed in the importance of adopting the IMO’s visions and strategies to ensure that its maritime sector was characterised by operational efficiency, safe navigation and safety for all sea-goers.  Further, he pointed out that Qatar was a founding member of the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding for the control of visiting ships to the GCC ports.The meeting also shed light on the relations between Qatar and the organisation in the field of maritime transport industry and ways of enhancing them.After the meeting, the Minister presented a miniature model of one of the largest LNG tankers in the world, owned by Qatar, to the IMO secretary-general, in the presence of Qatar’s ambassador to the UK Yousef bin Ali al-Khater and some heads of Gulf, Arab and foreign delegations participating in the meetings of the 29th Assembly.The loading capacity of the tanker exceeds that of normal LNG carriers by 80%.While receiving the memento, on behalf of the IMO, Sekimizu described it as one of the largest souvenirs ever received at the organisation’s headquarters.It is being showcased at the entrance for visitors and delegates for viewing and developing a better understanding of LNG tankers.