His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani patronised the official inauguration of Hamad Port in Umm al-Houl on Tuesday.The inauguration was attended by His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE the Speaker of the Advisory Council Mohammed bin Mubarak al -Khulaifi, and a number of Their Excellencies Sheikhs, ministers and senior officials.It was also attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Morocco Habib El Malki, Oman’s Minister of Transport and Communications Dr Ahmed bin Mohamed bin Salem al-Futaisi, Italy’s Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Graziano Delrio, Minister of Roads and Urban Development of the Islamic Republic of Iran Abbas Akhoundi, France’s Minister of Transport Elisabeth Borne, Morocco’s Minister of Industry, Investment, Trade and Digital Economy Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Communications and Communications Ramin Guluzade, Minister of Economy of Bulgaria Emil Karanikolov, and the Director General of the Ports Authority in Kuwait Sheikh Yousef al-Abdullah al-Sabah.The inauguration was also attended by a number of Their Excellencies ambassadors accredited to Qatar along with guests.The inauguration ceremony began with a national anthem followed by a show entitled 'the bird of goodness' that embodies the story of Qatar's prosperity and development from the past to the present.
In his speech, HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed al-Sulaiti stressed that this magnificent construction, which was completed ahead of schedule and below budget, would be remembered in history as a sign of gratitude from this dignified nation to His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.This giant gateway carries the Father Emir's name, which, in our memory and world memory, will be synonymous with the maker of miracles in this land.Al-Sulaiti said this would not have been achieved without the guiding directives and unlimited encouragement from His Highness the Emir and the active support from HE the Prime Minister. Such great support has had a great impact in energising our drive and increasing the momentum for more work and dedication, he said.The Minister of Transport and Communications added that His Highness the Emir's vision not only foresaw all the hard possibilities of the future, but is also a motivator for us to face all of its challenges, pointing out that Hamad Port demonstrates this most vividly as it has played a very important role recently by providing direct marine shipping routes with key regional and world seaports in a short time, thus contributing to securing the goods, supplies and all that is needed for our vital projects.He said that this port will contribute to increasing world trade volumes between Qatar and world markets, creating job opportunities for youth, raising living standards in addition to improving Qatar's competitiveness by transforming it into a regional business centre, which, in turn, will establish sustainable development for generations to come."We have proven beyond any doubt how much we are flexible but steadfast when it comes to facing challenges without compromising out values, traditions and ambitions. We have all reason today to keep our heads up, given the amount of difficulties we have overcome and the challenges we have faced. Today, we are stronger and more determined with even more options at hand. We do not wait for the sea to calm - we learn how to sail through the storm," al-Sulaiti said. After that, His Highness the Emir placed the logo of Hamad Port on the designated area, marking the official opening of the port.At the end the ceremony, a heritage performance showed the story of ancestors diving into sea and practising fishing as profession and the continued efforts by their sons to achieve more progress and prosperity for the country.