Iran, Qatar to Expand Ports, Maritime Cooperation

CEO of Qatar Ports Management Company, Abdulla Mohamed Al-Khanji on Monday met with Iranian Deputy Minister and Managing Director of Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Ali Akbar Safaei and discussed developing commercial relations and fostering ports and maritime collaboration between the two countries. The two officials met in Tehran to confer on the expansion of ports and maritime cooperation for increasing bilateral trade. Pointing to the potential of Bushehr, Deir, Kangan, and Negin port Island in Bushehr Province, Safaei proposed investment in a logistic center in Bushehr Port by Qatar’s private sector in order to manage the export supply chain from Bushehr to Qatar.

In the meeting, Safaei pointed to the importance of low sulfur fuel for cargo and passenger vessels and said Iran and Qatar can cooperate in bunkering and supply low sulfur fuel for the fleets.
Al-Khanji welcomed the proposal and stated that Bushehr and Deir Ports are the gateways for bilateral trade as 99% of the trade transactions take place through these ports. He added that investments in these ports, along with increasing the berths’ depth and channel widening can help increase the volume of imports/exports between the two countries.

As quoted by the Qatar transport minister, Hamad Port is ready to offer facilities to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) in order to increase trade transactions. Additionally, Qatar Government intends to make possible the traffic of large ships between ports of the two countries. Iran-Qatar maritime collaborations would facilitate transhipment among Persian Gulf countries up to Russia and the Central Asian countries through Iran’s ports. - Kayhan