Summary

The Qatari freight and logistics market is estimated to be valued at more than USD 7.5 billion and is estimated to register a CAGR of more than 7% during the forecast period.

Key Highlights
The logistics market in Qatar has been growing steadily over the past five years. The growth of the market can be attributed to the new expansion plans as the country is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Additionally, the ambitious plans of the Qatari government to develop the country into a new logistical and regional center, and the country being one of the largest LNG suppliers in the world have supported the growth of the logistics market in the country. The geographical location of the country, encouraging investment laws, and stable exchange rate has also contributed to the sector’s growth.
Qatar is located in the heart of the Middle East, hence, a substantial number of markets can be reached from the country. Within a 3,000-kilometer radius exists 2 billion people and 6 trillion USD in combined GDP, including Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, India, and many countries in the Eastern Africa region.
The country’s peninsular geography allows for ports, such as Ras Laffan, Mesaieed and Doha to offer significant competitive trade advantages, particularly for its exports of oil and gas.
Qatar is expected to become a global center for technology, life sciences, health care, logistics, and a hub for temperature and time-sensitive commodities with its well-developed airport infrastructure and services.
With their strategic location near Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port, the free zones in the Ras Bufontas and Umm Alhoul regions are designed to support the booming logistics industry clusters. Ras Bufontas, the airport-free zone, will complement high value and time-sensitive products, while Umm Alhoul, the port-free zone, will provide international freight forwarders access to the chemical, oil and gas, and heavy machinery industries.
The Umm Alhoul Free Zone is set to become a major factor in Qatar’s imports and exports. It offers a wealth of resources and connectivity, already capturing 27% of trade in the GCC region.


Key Market Trends

Leading Infrastructure and Connectivity Across Air and Sea Plays Boosting the Growth of Logistics

Qatar has one of the largest commercial ports in the world and the largest airport in the Middle East. The country is developing Doha Port as Qatar’s gateway to marine tourism. Qatar is also expanding the port of Ruwais to serve as Qatar’s northern maritime gateway. Moreover, ongoing highways and corridors development increase connectivity.

Hamad International Airport was the first airport in the MENA region to be awarded ISO-certification and is ranked as one of the best airports in the world. Attributing to its success is the advanced scanning technology and quick ramp transfer, leading to an accelerated shipping process. Hamad Sea Port offers more than 15 direct shipping lines and connects to 40 different ports.

This well-developed logistics infrastructure in the country offers opportunities to various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, electronic waste management, e-commerce, and high-value item storage.

Despite the geopolitical tensions in recent years, the logistics market in the country witnessed growth. Hamad port was the cornerstone of overcoming the Gulf crisis and turning it into a viable opportunity. According to industry sources, Hamad port is expected to become one of the top container ports in the world upon completion of its Phase II. The cargo volume is expected to increase at a significant rate by 2022. The port is currently ranked fifth in the region in terms of capacity.

QTerminals is involved in the development and operation of Phase II of Hamad Port. QTerminals is a company set up by Qatar Navigation (Milaha) and Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) to provide the container, general cargo, RORO, livestock and offshore supply services in Phase I of Hamad Port. Mwani Qatar had also signed a container services agreement in November 2019, with the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to use Hamad Port as a regional hub to manage transshipments for up to 150,000 TEUs per year, growing to one million TEUs by 2023.

The maritime sector in the country remained steady in 2019 after witnessing a strong performance in 2018. The main ports Hamad Port, Ruwais Port, and Doha Port, together, received 4,085 vessels and handled 1.34 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) containers during 2019.

The Chemical Sector Driving the Demand for Project Logistics

Qatar has access to one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, providing the opportunity for key feedstocks, raw materials, and utilities. Capitalizing on the country’s natural gas holdings and abundant supply of hydrocarbon resources, Qatar has diverse market segments, such as engineered materials, advanced textiles, and food ingredients.

The chemical sector is boosted by investments. In June 2019, Qatar Petroleum signed an agreement with Chevron Phillips Chemical to build a new petrochemicals complex for the production of ethylene, a key ingredient in plastics. These increasing investments in chemicals, oil, and gas sectors are increasing the demand for project logistics in the country. In May 2019, GWC has transported a 180-ton auxiliary boiler on behalf of Qatar Fertiliser Company (QAFCO), shipping it from Italy through to Mesaieed Port to the final location.

The chemical sector contributes more than 4% of the nation’s economy. Fertilizers represent the highest share in the country’s total production capacity. The fertilizer industry in Qatar is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. The fertilizer industry started as a way of diversifying from the oil and gas industries. Qatar produces the second-largest amount of fertilizer in the Gulf nations. Some of the fertilizer products manufactured in the country are ammonia, urea, and urea-formaldehyde. Qatar is the dominant producer of urea in the Gulf region accounting for more than 35% of urea produced in the area.

Competitive Landscape

The market studied is fairly concentrated in nature, with some of the large players operating in the market. The market is mainly dominated by domestic players, but the presence of international players is expected to increase in the future as the country grows toward becoming a logistics hub. With the market growing steadily, the logistics companies in the country are continuously looking for expanding their network and infrastructure. Some of the major players operating in the country include Gulf Agency Company (GAC), Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC), DHL, and Aero Freight.

Additional Benefits:

The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
3 months of analyst support

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