Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar Chamber recently took part in the second edition of the Gulf-Azerbaijani Economic Forum, held in Baku under the theme “Sustainability Investments Partnerships”.
The Chamber’s delegation included board members Eng. Ali bin Abdullatif Al-Mesned and Shaheen bin Mohamed Al-Mohannadi, with participation of several Qatari businessmen.
The forum featured discussions on renewable energy, water and electricity, transportation, and logistics, as well as strategic partnerships between the GCC and Azerbaijan in agriculture, food security, and food industries.
Addressing a panel on the transport and logistics sector, Eng. Ali Al-Mesned, who is also the Chairman of Services Committee and the Qatar Association for Freight Forwarding and Logistics (QAFL), said that Qatar’s strategic location makes it in the centre of East and West between three continents, namely Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Elaborating on Qatar’s advancement in the logistics sector, he explained that the country is home to the world’s leading air cargo company (Qatar Airways Cargo), the best airline (Qatar Airways), the second-best airport (Hamad International Airport), and the eighth-largest port (Hamad Port) globally.
Al-Mesned pointed out that the country’s investment in this sector is reflected in the volume of the transportation market, which reached $9.9 billion, positioning the country as the second-best in the region in terms of logistics efficiency.
He also indicated that according to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index 2023, Qatar ranked 14th globally in logistics efficiency, 19th in infrastructure quality, and 36th in the overall index, which includes 139 countries, outperforming 103 nations worldwide.“Qatar has become a leading global centre for investment and business, as well as a hub for global trade and logistics,” he added.
He further affirmed the Chamber’s commitment to enhancing supply chains and logistic services and encouraging investors to invest in this vital sector.
Due to its relentless efforts in this regard, the Chamber recently was elected as a member of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the world’s largest organization for freight forwarders, during the FIATA World Conference held in Brussels.
Underscoring the importance of logistic market, he said that the global logistics market amounted to $8.96 trillion in 2023 and is expected to reach around $21.91 trillion by 2033, indicating a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.35% from 2024 to 2033.
“Land transport account for the largest share of the logistics market, followed by sea and air transport,” he said.
