‘Qatar set to have greater share of Mideast trade’

HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti said that Qatar will have a greater share of Middle East trade with Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port acquiring about 30% of the region’s trade.In an interview with Arrayah newspaper published yesterday on the sidelines of the Silk Road Forum which was held yesterday in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, HE the Minister who led Qatar’s high-level delegation to the forum, said that Qatar uses the new Silk Road passing through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran, as it is one of the most promising routes amid expectations of increasing trade through its land and sea routes. He added that this region is very important for the Gulf and the Middle East, and that Qatar started a shipping lines to the Poti Sea Port in western Georgia, on the banks of the Black Sea, and to Greece. He emphasised that there was no doubt that it’s a real addition to the economy, and that Qatar supports these projects to reach macroeconomic status by making Hamad Port a major hub for the region.He explained that Qatar can benefit from the Silk Road through the large volume of trade that passes via these routes. The minister described his talks with the Georgian side as excellent. The two sides agreed on an agenda of work that will take shape in the coming days.Regarding the Qatar Information Technology and Communication Conference and Exhibition (Qitcom) which will be held in Doha from Oct 29 to Nov 1, al-Sulaiti said that it is one of the largest conferences and the largest ICT event in Qatar, which will see a unique breakthrough to coincide with the Munich Security Conference. He pointed out that Qitcom, under the theme of ‘Safe Smart Cities’, is a technical and technological conference which serves as a comprehensive venue for participants who want to showcase smart technology solutions and the exchange of advanced knowledge.The minister said Qitcom will provide real additions to the world of technology with the signing of three agreements that are critical to Qatar and the technology sector in general and to achieve a qualitative leap for the country in the modern technology sector and strengthen its position as a platform for progress towards the digital economy and smart future.He praised TASMU Smart Qatar initiative, which was specifically designed to accelerate the achievement of all the pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030, launched by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani at Qitcom 2017 and focuses on five sectors: transportation, logistics, environment, health and sports. About Qatar’s capacity in the cyber security sector, the Minister affirmed that Qatar is very advanced in the cyber security sector and will host the United Nations Regional Office, where an agreement will be signed. He added that there will be experts who will speak about the importance of cyber security and highlighted Qatar’s position in the global ranking in this area.On the Munich Security Conference, which will be organised by Doha at the end of October for the first time outside Germany, the Minister said that the hosting demonstrates the importance of Qatar in decision-making and mechanisms of strategic dialogue and advanced thought, as well as the high status of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, as well as the great efforts of the Qatari government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all those in charge.