Doha, December 16 (QNA) - HE Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al-Thani affirmed that Qatar National Day represents an annual milestone to reaffirm the values ​​of loyalty to the homeland and its wise leadership, which is steadily progressing in the journey of development and renaissance while consolidating the principles of unity and solidarity that were instilled by the Founder Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani.

His Excellency said that this year’s National Day slogan, inspired by the words of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani: “With You It Rises, From You It Awaits”, reflects a renewed message to continue working and building, based on the firm belief that the development of the nation is linked to the development of the human being, and that the elevation of Qatar is achieved through the sincerity of its people and their efforts to serve society.

On this occasion, His Excellency extended his warmest congratulations to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, HH the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, and to the esteemed government and the generous Qatari people.

The National Day celebrations reinforce the Ministry of Transport’s firm commitment to continuing to implement its national vision and mission, and to achieving the goals of its strategy through the development of an integrated, safe, flexible and sustainable transport system that adopts the latest smart systems and technologies, which contributes to strengthening the transport infrastructure and serving various economic, service and environmental sectors, and consolidating the role of the State of Qatar as an effective link in the regional and global economies, in support of achieving Qatar National Vision 2030, His Excellency added.

Regarding the achievements of the Ministry of Transport, His Excellency the Minister emphasized that on September 7, 2025, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani launched the Ministry of Transport’s Strategy 2025–2030 under the slogan; “Reaching Beyond Horizons”. Indeed, this is one of the most prominent achievements of the Ministry during the year 2025, heralding a new phase of institutional work aimed at developing the transport sector in the State of Qatar and enhancing its role as a pillar of economic growth, sustainability and innovation.

The strategy represents a comprehensive roadmap based on a vision for an integrated, safe, flexible and sustainable transportation system, and a mission aimed at improving logistical efficiency in support of the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030. It includes 125 projects stemming from 42 initiatives, with active participation from the private sector at a rate of up to 40%, which enhances economic diversification, deepens development partnerships and contributes to raising the efficiency of implementing future projects, His Excellency said.

The strategy focuses on improving the public transport system through 17 quality initiatives that contribute to providing reliable and environmentally friendly services that serve different segments of society and give priority to innovation and building national capabilities through specialized training programs and technology development projects that include smart control centers and advanced digital applications that enhance the quality of services and the speed of operational response.

That it is based on five main directions that define the priorities of the next phase, which are: enhancing economic growth, raising the efficiency of utilizing transport services, developing customer-centric services, supporting sustainability and enhancing network resilience, and developing human capital to ensure the sector is ready for the future and keeping pace with global technological transformations, His Excellency added.

As part of its efforts to accelerate digital transformation and enhance accessibility to its services, His Excellency said that the Ministry of Transport has launched its official mobile application, "Darb," for smartphones and tablets. This unified platform allows users to easily complete their transactions. Currently, the application offers a range of digital services related to maritime and land transport, with plans to gradually expand its services to include more.

The launch of "Darb" underscores the Ministry's commitment to developing a transport sector that keeps pace with technological advancements and achieving a qualitative leap in the digitization of services. This will contribute to improving the efficiency of procedures and increasing user satisfaction.

In a related context, His Excellency added that the Transport and Logistics Digital Transformation Office is working on implementing several pioneering digital initiatives, most notably the "Digital Logistics Portal". This project aims to integrate government and private logistics services into a unified digital platform, providing a world-class user experience, enhancing operational efficiency, expediting procedures, improving accuracy, and enabling the private sector to access digital marketplaces and advanced software interfaces. The platform also unifies the transport and logistics sector's databases, serving as a reliable resource for decision-makers and supporting the efficient and transparent development of future policies and plans. These efforts align with the Third National Development Strategy, implement the objectives of the National Logistics Sector Strategy, and meet the requirements of Qatar's Digital Agenda 2030.

His Excellency noted that the Ministry has completed 64% of the project to develop a strategy and policies for intelligent transportation systems on road networks. This project aims to establish comprehensive policies and regulatory frameworks to provide an efficient and intelligent transportation system that connects all modes of transport according to best global practices. The Ministry also completed a field trial of applying artificial intelligence technologies in road inspection and asset inventory processes. The trial relied on collecting data using smartphone applications and cameras, then processing it through an AI system that analyzes the condition of the pavement and road markings and detects defects.

The Ministry is working to establish a unified transportation data center that integrates and analyzes data from various modes of transport and stakeholders across the user journey, with the aim of identifying opportunities to improve operational and strategic services based on accurate data. The Ministry is also developing standards and policies to regulate and exchange data among stakeholders in a secure and efficient manner, he added.

His Excellency noted that the Ministry is also continuing to work on a number of current and future projects, most notably the development of the “Qatar Strategic Transport Model 2027” using artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies to analyze scenarios, predict disruptions, and improve operational efficiency.

Regarding the development of smart transportation solutions, His Excellency noted that the Ministry of Transport is overseeing operational trials of self-driving electric taxis using Level 4 technology, implemented by Mowasalat (Karwa), on selected routes encompassing tourist and service locations across the country. In preparation for the pilot phase, the trials will be conducted in two stages. The first stage will be supervised by a specialized team and will proceed without passengers, while the second stage will involve full operation of driverless passenger transport, with the aim of commencing operations by the first quarter of next year.

He said that, as part of expanding the qualitative experiments for smart transport, the Ministry of Transport also supervised an experiment for a self-driving electric air taxi, in a pioneering step that reflects the state’s direction towards adopting sustainable and advanced transport solutions, as the experimental trip was launched from the old Doha port towards the Katara Cultural Village, with complete success and without any human intervention, relying on an integrated self-control system supported by artificial intelligence and advanced air navigation technologies.

In his statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency stressed that, with regard to the indicators of the transport sector, the 2025 report of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) showed the progress of the State of Qatar in public transport at the regional and global levels, as the country topped the convenient access to means of transport index with a rate of 91.7%, and Doha ranked first globally in the length of the metro network per million people (64 km/million people), third globally in the number of buses per million people (969 buses/million), and fourth globally in the number of metro cars (278 cars/million).

The report ranked Qatar among the top 20 countries globally in terms of user experience for the public transport network, and recorded the highest environmental sustainability indicators for transport infrastructure. It also witnessed qualitative success in integrating different means of transport within a unified smart system that includes electronic payment, trip planning, and bus tracking, reflecting the Ministry’s commitment to Qatar Vision 2030 and making the Qatari public transport experience a global model to be emulated, His Excellency said.

He added that a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) confirmed Qatar's position as one of the most ambitious and influential countries in the field of electric mobility in the Middle East, pointing to the rapid progress the country is making in its transition towards sustainable transport. The report indicated that the electric vehicle strategy contributed to raising the percentage of electric buses to 73% of the public transport fleet, with sales of electric battery cars expected to grow from 1.1% in 2024 to 14.4% by 2035, and sales of plug-in hybrid cars to 9.6% for the same period, in addition to the country's investments in the battery sector and clean technologies, which enhances Qatar's position as an emerging global center in the sustainable mobility industries and related innovation.

As part of the Ministry of Transport’s ongoing efforts to develop the maritime and land transport sectors, enhance their operational and technical capabilities, and develop national competencies, His Excellency affirmed that the maritime sector has witnessed the implementation of a number of qualitative projects and initiatives during the past period, most notably: the opening of the Maritime Training and Simulation Center (MTSC) at University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), which is the first of its kind in the State of Qatar, with the aim of supporting and empowering national competencies and the current and future workforce in the maritime sector, which enhances the country’s leading position regionally in the field of maritime training and innovation.

The center offers an interactive training environment supported by state-of-the-art simulation technologies classified as Category A and C, including simulations of bridges and engine rooms, as well as accredited facilities for maritime safety training such as fire stations, first aid centers, and advanced classrooms. The center also provides specialized training programs accredited by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), focusing on developing practical skills and enhancing the technical competence of those working in the sector. Furthermore, it strengthens cooperation with Doha University through the signing of memoranda of understanding aimed at exchanging expertise and developing research and training in the maritime transport sector.

The Ministry has also begun preparing a draft unified maritime law that aligns with international best practices and strengthens the sector's legislative framework.

Regarding raising the efficiency of personnel working in the maritime sector, the Ministry implemented specialized training programs in cooperation with international classification societies, with the aim of enhancing the skills of national personnel in the areas of maritime safety and quality.

In terms of land transport, the Ministry completed the study of the Al Waab Corridor, which enhances connectivity and provides supporting logistical services. It also updated the comprehensive bicycle plan, which will add 4,400 km of bicycle paths, 500 safe intersections, and 6 service centers, in addition to launching 17 policies and 18 programs to encourage the use of bicycles as a sustainable and recreational means of transport, His Excellency added.

The Ministry has completed 70% of its strategy to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of land transport. This strategy includes developing policies and programs to reduce emissions and accidents, relying on up-to-date data and advanced predictive models. The Ministry has also completed 20% of the study for the AlWakra-AlWukair Road Corridor, which aims to enhance connectivity and support key economic sectors (logistics, manufacturing, and tourism) in line with Qatar's Transport Vision 2050, he said.

His Excellency noted that the Ministry is also working on studying the West Industrial Road Corridor to analyze and develop the transport infrastructure in a way that supports economic growth and improves connectivity at the state level, as well as studying the C-Ring Road with the aim of enhancing access to strategic locations including Hamad International Airport, Ras Abu Aboud Stadium, city centers, and supporting integrated multimodal transport.

The Ministry has completed 97% of the traffic congestion study project, which aims to prepare implementation plans that contribute to reducing travel times and waiting periods at intersections and road networks, thereby reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

The Ministry also launched the Comprehensive Public Transport Plan project, which aims to prepare a vision for the public transport sector in the State of Qatar for the period 2025–2050, through the implementation of a survey of transport preferences in various regions of the country, and studying and analyzing its results to benefit from them in developing a plan that enhances the quality of mobility options for citizens, residents and visitors.

In the same context, the Ministry prepared a specialized study to harmonize road infrastructure with public transport buses, which included identifying bus routes on the network, setting guidelines for network planning, evaluating bus priority procedures, and ways to make optimal use of existing assets, in order to improve the reliability of trips, adherence to schedules, reduce waiting times, lower operating costs, and increase the demand for public transport.

The Ministry also completed its 2025 target for the gradual transition to electric buses, with the electric bus fleet reaching 74% of the total public transport buses, with the aim of reaching 100% by 2030, in line with the Ministry’s strategy for transitioning to clean energy and in support of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Concluding his statement to QNA, HE Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al-Thani affirmed that the State of Qatar has strengthened its international standing in the transport and communications sector by winning membership in the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the second time in Category III for the years (2026-2028), following the elections held during the proceedings of the 42nd Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, where Qatar obtained 170 votes, in a clear affirmation of its valuable contributions and distinguished efforts in the development of civil aviation.

The State of Qatar also achieved a new milestone in the maritime sector by winning, for the third consecutive time, a seat on the Executive Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in Category C, during the 34th Session of the IMO Assembly in London.

These two international achievements reflect global recognition of Qatar’s standing and effectiveness in promoting standards in the air and maritime transport sectors, and underscore the international community’s confidence in its leading role in fostering international cooperation and supporting innovation at both the regional and global levels. (QNA)