Qatar shows power of shipping’s digital transition
Over the next two decades, Qatar’s economy will be transformed from dependency on fossil fuel extraction to an emphasis on digital services. The Lloyd’s List Qatar Summit will explain all
Speakers at the Lloyd’s List Qatar Maritime and Logistics Summit bring local and overseas expertise to focus on the transformation of the nation’s economy in the 2020s and 2030s.
SAFE and sustainable shipping is often seen as a ‘best kept secret’. But the thousands of people who work in vessel operations, cargo handling, and supply chain logistics all know how vital this industry is to any nation.
The expansion of an economy depends on efficient connectivity between the many stakeholders. All the speakers at the Lloyd’s List Qatar Maritime and Logistics Summit acknowledge that connectivity is key to successful digitalisation in shipping.
The specific elements of digitalisation – including data collection and analysis, data-driven decision making, and advanced cyber security – are critical to improved safety and sustainable transportation. And therefore, critical to economic growth.
From the welcome address by the Qatar Minister of Transport and Communications, HE Jassim Saif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, to senior leadership at Mwani Qatar, Milaha, Nakilat, and Q Terminals, the digital economy takes centre stage. There’s a good reason for this.
Qatar’s economic expansion has been highly dependent on oil and gas extraction, which today accounts for 50% of gross domestic product and 85% of export earnings. Proven reserves suggest this dependency is unsustainable, so Qatar has moved to transform itself into a centre of logistics excellence.
That transition, as embraced by the National Vision, will be addressed by Summit speakers in liner shipping, LNG shipping, next-generation logistics, and training.
This Summit takes place at a time when Qatar is putting in place the final pieces of an economic strategy for the next two decades. The financial resources are available to support the transition, the government is fully supportive, and there are opportunities for overseas businesses to get involved.
The event, being held in Doha, Qatar, on February 18, will offer significant networking time and will be followed by a hosted tour of the impressive new Hamad Port.
For details of the Summit, click here.
Shipping might be a well-kept secret, but for Qatar it’s time to spread the word that the digital transition has begun.