Qatar is small but significant. A country of 1.8 million people that is largely surrounded by the Persian Gulf, it is the richest nation in the world. Qatar currently has the highest GDP per capita in the world, and is considered a middle power, with surprising global influence for its size. To use ocean freight to Qatar is to open new doors to the Middle Eastern market.
Qatar’s capital city of Doha is its economic center. A large number of domestic and international organizations, including the country’s largest oil and gas companies, are headquartered in Doha.
Qatar’s economic growth is almost exclusively due to its natural gas and petroleum industries, which began to develop in the mid-20th century. The country is a member of OPEC, and the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas. Qatar has no income tax, and very low levels of unemployment. Exciting opportunities for growth are available to your business through ocean freight to Qatar.
Either FCL (a full-container load) or LCL (a less-than-container load) is your option when shipping merchandise to Qatar. Your shipping volume can help you make a choice here.
A 40-foot container can ship up to 22 standard pallets, while a 20-foot container holds 10 standard pallets. If your shipment is equal to half a container or more (so, at least six standard pallets), you’ll need FCL. FCL is also your best option even with small shipments if you feel that contact with other exporters’ goods could pose a risk to your merchandise.
If such contact is not a concern, you can opt for groupage, the term for a less-than-container load (LCL). With groupage, you share a container, and pay only for the space you need. Consult iContainers for rates and other details.
Doha Port, Qatar’s only commercial port, handles a wide variety of cargo-almost everything except liquid bulk. Vessels in its anchorage area deal with little to no wait time in this 24-hour port thanks to a sophisticated short- and long-term berth planning system. In addition to containerized cargo, Doha Port also handles approximately 2.5 million freight tons yearly of break bulk, RORO, and project cargo, as well as livestock. Within the next few years, the port’s management is planning to increase its annual container throughput capacity to a minimum of 750,000 TEUs.
This port has been specially designed to provide services and facilities for customers in nearby Mesaieed Industrial City. The Port of Mesaieed, operated by Milaha Port Services, features dedicated container handling services at its CT7 Container Terminal. The terminal can handle 500,000 TEUs annually, and employs only the most modern terminal procedures and management principles, with state-of-the-art technology in operation everywhere.
iContainers offers streamlined and affordable ocean freight services for your merchandise to Qatar. We are present in many ports across the globe including those located in:
For more information, consult ship container rates for your ocean freight to Qatar here.