Transport & Logistics
From The Report: Qatar 2026
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The transport sector in Qatar plays an important role in the country’s aim to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons under Qatar National Vision 2030, the development blueprint. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund invests heavily in building and maintaining the country’s roads, rail networks, port and airport upgrades, while developing an integrated public transport system powered by cleaner electric energy. Boosting transport infrastructure is essential for Qatar’s growing population with the country’s development of smart cities and rising tourism. The heightened uptake of artificial intelligence-powered technologies is enhancing efficiency and competitiveness as Qatar strengthens its position as a leading regional logistics and trade centre. The Iran conflict caused initial disruption to air travel across and around the Gulf in March and early April 2026. In parallel, ongoing maritime disruption in the Strait of Hormuz since March 2026 has underscored the strategic importance of resilient transport infrastructure, multimodal logistics connectivity and supply chain continuity planning across the sector.

This chapter contains an interview with Jassim Mohammed Al Ansari, CEO, Qatar Rail.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Network flow: Infrastructure development across multiple modes aims to enhance capacity, connectivity and efficiency
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The transport sector in Qatar plays an important role in the country’s aim to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons under Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, the development blueprint. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund invests heavily in building and maintaining the country’s roads, rail networks, port and airport upgrades, while developing integrated public transport system powered by cleaner electric energy. Boosting transport infrastructure is essential for Qatar’s growing population…

Interview

On the right track: Jassim Mohammed Al Ansari, CEO, Qatar Rail, on how rail infrastructure contributes to economic diversification
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Interview: Jassim Mohammed Al Ansari, CEO, Qatar Rail, on how rail infrastructure contributes to economic diversification Which policy, regulatory and technical frameworks are most critical to enabling seamless cross-border rail connectivity within the GCC? AL ANSARI: From a policy perspective, a shared vision is required for how international passenger and freight services will operate across the region, including harmonised Customs, immigration, border control and quarantine procedures. For passenger…

Analysis

Overland shift: Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could create new logistics opportunities for regional players
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Supply chain disruptions have historically accelerated infrastructure investment and regional economic integration that might otherwise have taken decades to materialise. The reduction in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the Iran conflict proved no exception. Roughly 20% of global oil trade passes through the Strait each day, alongside a significant share of non-oil commodities, including around 30% of the world’s maritime fertiliser supply. With maritime traffic now…

Analysis

Freight railway: Investment in multi-modal transport networks strengthens Qatar’s position as a regional logistics and trade centre
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Qatar has prioritised investment in its transport networks in recent years to enhance connectivity and competitiveness, support growth in non-hydrocarbons sectors, and bolster its position a leading global logistics and trade centre. Leveraging its strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Europe and Africa, government funding has focused on upgrading the country’s ports, airports and road network, as Qatar emerges as a vital nexus connecting major global markets. As a result, the logistics…