Doha, August 03 (QNA) - From advanced road networks to autonomous vehicles, Qatar is moving full steam ahead toward an advanced and integrated transportation system built on resilience.
The move is marked by essential flexibility to make the system more secure and sustainable, underpinned overall by an ambitious vision aimed at positioning the transportation sector as a key pillar supporting economic development and improving quality of life.
Flash forward decades ahead, and the Transportation Master Plan for Qatar-2050 will enhance the land transportation sector by directing investments into infrastructure, in addition to developing road and public transportation networks connected with urban expansion, population growth, and future needs for mobility and freight transportation.
The master plan highly prioritizes sustainability through expanding eco-friendly transportation means, reducing carbon emissions, rationalizing energy and fuel consumption, strengthening the financial sustainability of the sector through crafting transportation demand policies, and expanding partnerships with the public sector in building and operating transportation projects.
The Ministry of Transport expects the plan to deliver significant economic benefits, including increased revenue, reduced vehicle operating costs, shorter travel times, and fewer traffic crashes and emissions, strengthening Qatar's stature among global leaders in safe and sustainable transportation.
In recent years, the surface transportation sector has witnessed significant advancements through leveraging cutting-edge technologies, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), and artificial intelligence to advance transportation projects and deliver services while meeting the highest quality standards.
In collaboration with its partners, the Ministry has overseen the inaugural phase of operational testing for autonomous electric taxis to test the operational, technical, and regulatory aspects associated with this technology, assess traffic safety, evaluate infrastructure readiness, and determine the possibility of integrating these vehicles into the existing transportation system.
Over the past years, the Ministry has implemented a comprehensive national project to achieve more scrupulous planning. 
The objective was to collect traffic data, with project surveys yielding the feasibility of developing a Transportation Data Management System, a digital platform powered by advanced spatial and geographic databases that enables government agencies and consulting firms to analyze traffic flows, conduct studies, and support decision-making in line with the latest global standards.
Alongside this strategic planning, Qatar continues turning this vision into real-world projects, successfully conducting a pilot operation of autonomous electric taxis under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and in tandem with Mowasalat (Karwa). In-Charge of Road Affairs Department at the MOT Eng. Nayla Khaled Al Nuaimi said that the experience of operating self-driving electric taxis reflects Qatar's commitment to adopting the latest smart transport technologies, which contributes to providing safer, more efficient and sustainable services.
She noted that the success of this experiment confirms the readiness of the operational and technical systems necessary for the more comprehensive use of self-driving services, and the possibility of moving to the second phase experiment, which aims to adopt the full operation of self-driving vehicles without a driver, in coordination with the relevant and competent authorities in the country.
The first phase of the project, which began in August 2025, was preceded by the implementation of more than 2,500 trial trips, with the success rate of operation exceeding 94 percent without any human intervention, with high levels of user satisfaction recorded, despite the presence of a safety officer inside the vehicle during that phase.
These steps come as part of the MOT's efforts to keep pace with the latest developments to provide integrated smart transportation that is environmentally friendly and in accordance with the best international and regional specifications and practices. It continues to develop the smart transportation system and benefit from a range of modern technologies, such as developing smart traffic management systems with the aim of analyzing data and proposing appropriate solutions to improve road safety, installing monitoring networks based on cameras and sensors, and achieving integration between the Doha Metro, buses, taxi and limousine services via digital applications, and developing passenger information systems that provide real-time data on trips and arrival times.
She added that the MOT is keen to intensify the use of electric and self-driving buses and vehicles within the public transport system, in parallel with expanding the digital infrastructure to support connectivity between vehicles and roads, developing the necessary legislation to regulate the practice of land transport activities, and using data analysis and AI technologies in planning, operating and maintaining road networks and providing supporting logistical services.
She said that in the same context, the MOT launched a comprehensive public transport plan, which aims to improve the efficiency of network operations, reduce traffic congestion, raise the level of connectivity between means of transport, support urban expansion, promote the use of public transport, and develop a long-term vision for a more integrated and sustainable transport network, while enhancing connectivity between different means of transport and providing safe and easy mobility options for all users.
She noted that the MOT launched the comprehensive bicycle plan, which promotes active mobility and supports the integration of bicycles and micro-mobility within the urban transport system, contributing to improving the quality of life and reducing emissions in order to achieve environmental sustainability and reduce fuel consumption in order to reduce emissions resulting from the transport sector.
Internationally, Eng. Nayla said that Qatar is keen to keep up with the latest innovations in this field, as the MOT participates in many specialized conferences and workshops with the aim of learning about the latest AI applications, smart traffic management, connected and self-driving vehicles, railway and metro projects, integrated transport, and enhancing cooperation with specialized international institutions.
She noted that the success of smart mobility depends not only on technology, but also on developing legislation, enhancing cybersecurity, improving data quality, and encouraging the use of public transportation, in order to achieve a more efficient and sustainable transportation system and enhance the competitiveness of the State of Qatar as a regional center for innovation in the transportation sector. She pointed out that future estimates indicate that the transportation sector in cities may witness, in the coming years, an increase in reliance on self-driving vehicles, an expansion in on-demand transportation services, in addition to wider use of traffic management systems based on artificial intelligence. Accordingly, the State of Qatar is working on developing its digital infrastructure to support these transformations, in light of continuous investments in the technology and transportation sector, to provide more stable and sustainable services for users. (QNA)