Qatar set up a joint venture to manage operations at its new $7.4 billion Hamad Port, the first phase of which officially opens this week.
The venture, called QTerminals, is 51 percent owned by ports and logistics management company Mwani Qatar and 49 percent by Milaha Qatar, formerly known as Qatar Navigation. Milaha’s port services division manages Doha Port, which currently handles the bulk of Qatar’s seaborne trade and is expected to be converted to a dedicated cruise facility.
The JV is in line with efforts by the government to bring private sector players into state development work aimed at supporting a move away from reliance on the energy sector.
Announcing the venture, Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti described the partnership as a role model for the Qatari private sector to contribute to transportation projects, going beyond prevalent partnerships in building and construction.