Interview: Fahad Rashid Al Kaabi
Where do the special economic zones (SEZs) stand in terms of their construction timelines, and what are their projected opening dates?
FAHAD RASHID AL KAABI: Manateq has three SEZs under its mandate at present, located throughout Qatar. The first SEZ, Ras Bufontas, is located adjacent to the new Hamad International Airport and covers approximately four sq km. The champion of this zone will be Qatar Airways and it will cater to a variety of economic clusters, including air cargo, logistics for air freight, fashion, advanced technology, automotive, aerospace, health care and medical devices. The SEZ will include service hubs, public spaces, land for worker accommodation, utilities access, versatile office and retail space, and our own headquarters. It is projected to open in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Um Alhoul, the second SEZ, will be located next to the new Hamad Port and cover an area of approximately 34 sq km. The main anchor of this zone will be the new port, and it will cater to economic clusters involved in sea freight, marine logistics services, shipbuilding and refurbishment, petrochemicals and manufacturing machinery, with a dedicated canal for marine works. The SEZ is scheduled to open in various phases, the first of which will be open in the first quarter of 2018.
A third proposed SEZ, Al Karaana, is still in the planning stages. Situated half-way between Doha and Abu Sumra, Al Karaana is on the border of Saudi Arabia, and will therefore be the overland gateway to those markets in the GCC. It will predominantly feature pre-built factories and showrooms for small and medium-sized enterprises that are able to move in right away, with little red tape involved.
In what way does the economic zones project fit into Qatar National Vision 2030?
AL KAABI: One of four key pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030 is economic development. The ultimate objective of this pillar is to develop a competitive and diversified economy that addresses the needs of Qatar’s population and creates a high standard of living. Manateq and its economic zones thus have a vital role to play in the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.
What main projects are being developed on behalf of the government in order to further develop logistics facilities in Qatar?
AL KAABI: Manateq has been tasked by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce to act as the operational arm of their Logistics Committee. We have taken on the responsibility of developing a logistics park called Jery Al Samur, which will target medium to large clients and offer 10-sq-km plots of land. The tenant mix will be varied.
We have also launched other logistics parks in the southern region of the country – namely, Al Wakrah, Birkat Al Awamer and Aba Saleel – which together contain a total of 1583 plots across an area of around 6.33m sq metres. Additionally, we will launch the Al Ruwais Logistics Park project in the third quarter of 2016. We have already signed the contracts for all of the clients for Jery Al Samur, and for the southern region of the logistics parks.
How is foreign direct investment being attracted into the SEZs, and when will applications for land acquisitions open to the public?
AL KAABI: By the end of 2016 we expect to receive applications for investors interested in acquiring land at the Ras Bufontas SEZ, under phase one of the development. We also recognise the difficulties faced by foreign direct investors when setting up here, but by locating in one of our SEZs they will benefit from 100% ownership and will be assigned a personal point of contact from our client relationship team to facilitate all registration and licenses.
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