Master Planning for a New Seaport in Doha, Qatar

The Government of Qatar has decided to relocate the country's main commercial port from the center of Doha Bay to a new location. The decision to relocate the port was driven by the fact that the existing port location is an obstacle to the Government's extensive development plans to transform Qatar into a major regional business and financial center. Doha's rapid growth has also limited any possible expansion of the existing port. In 2004, the Qatari Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture (MMAA) commissioned a Master Planning study to address these issues. The initial effort for the port relocation was to study and evaluate potential sites along the entire east coast of Qatar. A total of seven sites were investigated. The port site ultimately selected is called Ra's Bu Mashut, and is located offshore of the new Doha International Airport, now under construction. Including harbor area and reclamation, the 600 hectare New Doha Port (NDP) will eventually become one of the world's largest offshore ports and will grow to be a major transshipment hub for the entire Persian Gulf. Unique features of the NDP include: 1) Port access via a secure, 8 km, 4-lane causeway; 2) Over 5 km of breakwaters and containment dikes required to create 230 hectares of land and 370 hectares of protected harbor; 3) Separate berthing and port facilities for visiting naval ships, up to and including a Nimitz class aircraft carrier and escort ships; 4) Commercial port facilities, including state-of-the-art container terminals, general and bulk cargo terminals, a livestock terminal, and an auto import terminal; and 5) Free-trade zone onshore, linked to the New Doha International Airport's FTZ. This paper will discuss the unique planning and design challenges that were encountered during the Master Planning effort. The paper will also include a discussion on the overall status of the project and present an update on the design and construction schedule.