In 2002, the Qatari government launched Mowasalat, a company 100% owned by the government, managed and operated by the state authorities to ensure the smooth provision of integrated ground-transport services for the entire country. Previously, 3,000 privately owned orange taxicabs used to rule the streets of Qatar but the government took them off the roads as they saw them as a threat to the new Mowasalat taxis. There has been much controversy over this move, as it is now very hard to find a taxi [1] in Doha.
Public buses now service over 35 routes covering most locations of Doha with minimal fares making public transport in Qatar an inexpensive solution to the problems of rush hours and parking difficulties.
Mowasalat, under the brand-name Karwa, now operates more than 3,000 new taxi sedans including the recently acquired airport taxis with spacious cabins using 2007 Ford Freestars and more than 120 public buses, school buses, and private-hire coaches. In 2009, the Mowasalat created a world record for the largest parade of buses numbering 300 in all. [2] In addition, its Doha Limousine Service has 100 standard limousines and 200 Jaguar XJ VIP units that are mostly placed at the Doha International Airport and at major hotels.
However, those without personal transportation still face difficulties to move around since the number of taxis is much lower than the actual need of the population. All buses operate only on specific assigned lines based at the Central Bus Stations at Al-Ghanem area of the old city. [3]
The Ministry of Transport and Communications stated that Public bus ridership has increased by 40% between 2015 and 2018. [4]
In August 2008 Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment created a joint venture with Deutsche Bahn of Germany, Qatar Railway Development Company to plan a railway network in Qatar. [5] On 22 November 2009 Deutsche Bahn and Qatari signed a memorandum of Agreement to build high-speed railway lines and underground transport networks in Qatar and Bahrain. [6] [7] This agreement has never been executed. The Qatar Railways Development Company (QRDC) was created in 2011, and soon after it was decided that Qatar Rail would be the sole owner and manager of Qatar's rail network and would be responsible for the design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the entire rail network and systems. However,
Qatar Rail consists of:
The total length of the Qatar Rail network consists of approximately:
In June 2013, Qatar Rail awarded four design and build contracts worth approximately $8.2 billion for phase one of the Doha metro. The project included four rail lines and an underground section in the center of the capital Doha, and links to stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. The contracts were for the Red Line North project, the Red Line South project, the Green Line project and another one to design and build the metro's major stations. The projects are expected to employ more than 20,000 workers at its peak, construction is scheduled to begin later this year for completion by 2019. Metro construction was originally planned to start in the first quarter of 2010. [9]
Doha Metro's Red Line became the first line officially opened to the public on 8 May 2019. [10] This was followed by the launch of the Gold Line on 21 November 2019, [11] and the opening of the Green Line on 10 December 2019. [12]
Most of the main roads have been updated to multilane, double carriageway motorways, including the following:
Crude Oil 235 km; Natural Gas 400 km
Hamad International Airport is the only international passenger airport in Qatar. There are five other airfields in the country, three paved, two unpaved.
Transport in Bulgaria is dominated by road transport, despite nearly half of all paved roads belonging to the lowest category of roads. As of December 2015, the country had 829 kilometers of highways.
Transport in Saudi Arabia is facilitated through a relatively young system of roads, railways and seaways. Most of the network started construction after the discovery of oil in the Eastern Province in 1952, with the notable exception of Highway 40, which was built to connect the capital Riyadh to the economically productive Eastern Province, and later to the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the port city of Jeddah. With the economic growth of the 1970s, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has initiated many infrastructure development projects across the country, and the extensive development of the transportation network has followed suit in support of various economic developments.
Al Wakrah is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge touches the shores of the Persian Gulf and Qatar's capital Doha is situated to the city's immediate north. Governed by Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, it was originally a small fishing and pearling village. Over the years, it evolved into a small city with a population of more than 80,000 and is currently considered the second most populous city in Qatar.
Mesaieed is an industrial city in Al Wakrah Municipality located 36 kilometres (22 mi) south of the Qatari capital Doha. It was one of the most important cities in Qatar during the 20th century, having gained recognition as a prime industrial zone and tanking center for petroleum received from Dukhan.
Delhi has significant reliance on its transport infrastructure. The city has developed a highly efficient public transport system with the introduction of the Delhi Metro, which is undergoing a rapid modernization and expansion since 2006. There are 16.6 million registered vehicles in the city as of 30 June 2014, which is the highest in the world among all cities, most of which do not follow any pollution emission norm, while the Delhi metropolitan region has 11.2 million vehicles. Delhi and NCR lose nearly 42 crore man-hours every month while commuting between home and office through public transport, due to the traffic congestion. Therefore, serious efforts, including a number of transport infrastructure projects, are under way to encourage usage of public transport in the city.
Doha, the capital city of Qatar, bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was one of two cities in the Arab World, along with Cairo, Egypt to mount a serious bid.
Old Al Ghanim is a neighborhood of the Qatari capital Doha, located in the municipality of Ad Dawhah. It forms a part of Doha's historic downtown. A notable landmark was the New World Centre, a supermarket established in 1987. It has since been relocated. Numerous other local businesses have also been relocated to other parts of Doha by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment so it could carry out massive-scale reconstruction of the neighborhood and clear out portions to make way for the Doha Metro. The Al Ghanim Central Bus station is another important landmark found here.
Since the early 2000s, Doha, the capital of Qatar has been undergoing an extensive expansion in its transportation network including the addition of new highways, the construction of a new airport, and the under-construction Doha metro. These projects are meant to keep up with the population's rapid growth, which has strained the country's current infrastructure.
Old Airport is an area of Doha, Qatar. The district is located close to the site of Doha's old international airport servicing Qatar before the construction of the Hamad International Airport. Running through the district is Al Matar Al Qadeem Street, around which many businesses and retailers cater to the residents of the area. The first mall constructed in Qatar is also located within the district, next to the congested Najma roundabout.
Al Sadd is a neighborhood of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. As one of the country's oldest surviving mixed-use districts, the neighborhood is home to hundreds of families and residences, and several malls are also found in this vast neighborhood such as the Centrepoint Mall, Lulu Centre and Royal Plaza. The football team Al-Sadd and the Al-Sadd Sports Complex are located here. Rumeilah Hospital and The Children's Hospital are also based in the district.
Dukhan is a city in the western municipality of Al-Shahaniya in Qatar. It is approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the capital, Doha. Dukhan is administered by Qatar's state oil agency QatarEnergy and is the site of the first oil discovery in Qatar. It was previously a part of Al Rayyan municipality.
The Doha Metro is a rapid transit system in Doha, Qatar's capital city, which became operational on 8 May 2019. It has three lines with an approximate overall length of 76 km (47 mi) and 37 stations. It is an integral component of the larger Qatar Rail network, which will include a long-distance rail for passengers and freight, linking Qatar to the GCC, and the Lusail LRT. Capable of reaching 100 km/h (62 mph), the Doha Metro has one of the fastest driverless trains in the world.
Al Wukair is a town in Qatar, located in Al Wakrah Municipality. It is 19 minutes away from Doha and is located near the city of Al Wakrah. It was previously a prominent fishing and pearling village. It was demarcated in 1988. The gated compounds of Ezdan Village house a substantial part of the town's population.
Qatar Railways Company, commonly known as Qatar Rail, is a state-owned railway company, responsible for rail transport in Qatar. It is owned and operated by the Government of Qatar. Established in 2011, the company is responsible for the design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the entire rail network and systems. It manages Qatar's rail network. On May 8, 2019, Qatar rail started the preview service of Doha Metro with 13 stations on the Red Line, starting from Al-Qassar station in the North to Al-Wakra station in the South. The three metro lines that form the current network became fully operational by September 2020.
Madinat Khalifa South is a north-western district of Qatari capital Doha. It is one of the two sections of Madinat Khalifa, the other being Madinat Khalifa North. The district was constructed in the 1970s by the Emir of Qatar at the time, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, primarily to serve as a residential district for Qatari families. Shortages of affordable housing in the district have fueled illegal construction practices such as constructing additional floors.
Hamad Port is Qatar's main seaport, located south of Doha in the Umm Al-Houl area. Construction of the port began in 2010; it became operational in December 2016. It was officially opened in September 2017, and is expected to become fully operational by 2020. Capable of handling up to 7.8 million tonnes of products annually, the bulk of trade which passes through the port consists of food and building materials.
Al Majd Road is the longest highway in Qatar, running at a length of 195 kilometres (121 mi) from south-to-north. It begins in Mesaieed in Al Wakrah Municipality and extends north towards Ras Laffan on the coast in Al Khor Municipality.
The Green Line, also known as the Education Line, is a rapid transit line of the Doha Metro in Qatar's capital city of Doha. Opened to the public on 10 December 2019, it runs east to west, beginning at Al Mansoura and terminating at the Al Riffa station on Dukhan Highway in Rawdat Al Jahhaniya. The line covers the total distance of 22 kilometres (14 mi). Part of the line runs underground, part at grade and part of it is elevated on viaducts. Currently, the line has 11 stations, but will expand to 31 stations spread over 65.3 km in the future.
Al Riffa station is the western terminus of the Doha Metro's Green Line and serves the municipality of Al Rayyan. It is located on Dukhan Highway, opposite the Mall of Qatar, in the newly developed Rawdat Al Jahhaniya district.
This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
Media related to Transport in Qatar at Wikimedia Commons