Qatar says new port will help circumvent Arab sanctions
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-port/qatar-says-new-port-will-help-circumvent-arab-sanctions-idUSKCN1BG1RP
Qatar inaugurated a new $7.4 billion port along its Gulf coast on Tuesday that officials said would become a regional transport hub and help shield its economy against sanctions enforced by neighbouring Arab states.
The #Hamad_port, 40km south of Doha, is one of the largest such facilities in the Middle East.
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Qatar has expanded shipping routes to India, Oman, Turkey and Pakistan and announced plans to raise its liquefied natural gas (LNG) output by 30 percent in an apparent effort to prepare for greater economic independence in the long term.
Hamad port spans 26 square kilometers and will have a capacity of 7.5 million containers a year with terminals built to receive livestock, cereals, vehicles and coastguard vessels, [Qatari Transport Minister Jassim bin Saif al-]Sulaiti said.