INSTC Develops With Iranian Port Links To Qatar

Qatar’s Hamad Port

The Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi has announced that Iran and Qatar plan to launch regular shipping lines between the two countries’ ports. The statement came after meetings with Qatari trade and transport officials concerning the development of transport, commercial and economic ties between the two countries.

Iran and Qatar also agreed to expand cooperation between Qatar Air and Iranian connections.

Iran is a principal connectivity route between Europe and Asia via the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) which offers multi-modal connections between India to the Iranian Gulf Ports at Bandar Abbas and Chabahar. From there, goods can transit Iran north via rail to the Caspian Sea ports at Anzali and then onwards to Baku Port in Azerbaijan, heading West via rail to Turkey and Europe via the Black Sea, North to Russia at Lagan Port, or East to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan into Central Asia. The multi-modal operations give faster connections than the current Suez Canal link. A link to Qatar offers further development of the INSTC reach.

That will be to Qatar’s new Hamad Port, located south of Doha in the Umm Al-Houl area. Construction of the port began in 2010; it was officially opened in September 2017 and became fully operational in 2020. Hamad is capable of handling up to 7.8 million tonnes of products annually, the bulk of trade which passes through the port consisting of food and building materials. The shipping distance is 613 nautical miles, and will allow additional connections to the Gulf States from Europe, the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia, as an alternative to the Suez Canal. 

Related Reading

• The Suez Canal Alternative: The International North-South Transportation Corridor
• China Looking For Free Trade Agreement With Gulf Cooperation Council

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