Property damage and business interruption

21.11, port delays

Qatar: with vessels waiting for over a week off the Doha Port, many traders complained that food imports were decaying before reaching market. Doha Port received over 4,000 vessels this year as compared to 1,000 in 2002. According to the Customs and Port General Authority, the surge in shipment traffic was due to the increase of import and export activities fuelled by higher economic growth that Qatar has witnessed in recent years. The country’s fast growing population, road and various construction projects have increased the demand for imported goods including foodstuffs, building materials, clothing and other items. However, the port officials admitted that vessels were delayed for about a week waiting off the port. The port’s management was making arrangements to plug all frozen consignments to electrical cables to keep the contents frozen. The port has only 12 berths for accommodating vessels and was currently operating way above that capacity. The Authority has taken steps to upgrade the capacity to avoid backlogs at the docks, including efforts to increase productivity and expand the port. Recently, the Authority announced that the existing port will be shifted to a new site located at a coastal strip north of Mesaieed and south of Al Wakra.