Iran, Qatar, Looking To Increase Transport & Trade Links
Significant Port, Energy and Underwater Persian Gulf Tunnel Projects Discussed
Iran’s minister of roads and urban development Mehrdad Bazrpash and Qatar’s Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif bin Ahmed Al Sulaiti held meetings today (Monday, December 12) to discuss enhancing mutual transportation development. The two sides negotiated to expand cooperation in the sphere of transportation and agreed on the implementation of previously agreed documents between the two countries that had been signed off in February.
These include arrangements for Qatar to become a regional hub as part of the INSTC. Qatar is to the immediate south of Iran across the Persian Gulf, and has its own significant port infrastructure at Hamad, south of Doha. Hamad is capable of handling up to 7.8 million tonnes of products annually, while the bulk of trade passing through the port consists of food and building materials. That makes Hamad a key infrastructure development play as both agricultural and construction materials for project developments elsewhere in the region begin to get underway. Covering an area of 26km², the port has existing livestock, vehicle and general terminals, an offshore supply depot, a facility for the Qatari coast guards, and a grain facility. This makes Hamad a key consolidation point for merging goods and onward transit to other Middle East destinations as well as East Africa.
In addition to Hamad Port, discussions have been held about establishing a mutual free trade zone, amalgamating the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran and Qatar, an energy deal was reached between Iran’s Tavanir and Qatar’s Electricity and Water Company, while three agreements on ports and maritime affairs included one on maritime transport, one between the two countries’ port authorities, and another on a project to connect Iran and Qatar via an underwater tunnel. In September, the two countries also agreed the world’s largest saffron trade deal, a commercial contract for the transfer and processing of 200 tons of Iranian saffron with an initial value of US$300 million.
Iranian-Qatari trade has boomed and is up 35% this year.
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