APA Issue 1, 2022
GOALS GALORE Hamad International Airport’s chief operating officer, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, tells Joe Bates more about the latest traffic trends, IT innovation and expansion plans of Qatar’s gateway to the world. DOHA’S ANNUAL THROUGHPUT SOARED FROM 12.3 MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2008 TO 38.7 MILLION IN 2019 MAKING IT ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING AIRPORTS. WHAT DROVE THIS EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH? The remarkable transformation of Qatar’s economy and the development of its environment over the past few decades has proved the catalyst for growth. Indeed, Hamad International Airport was designed to support and sustain Qatar’s rapid development as a nation. This means that it must be capable of handling an exponential increase in Qatar’s capacity for the international movement of people, goods, capital, knowledge and technology. It is a vital element of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, which sets out the roadmap for a unique national transition from reliance on petrochemical revenues to a diverse, knowledge-based economy. Tourism has also played – and continues to play – a major role in accelerating Qatar’s growth and has been identified as one of five priority sectors integral to diversifying Qatar’s
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economy. In fact the growth in international tourism continues to outperform the global economy. According to UNWTO [the United Nations World Tourism Organization], global tourism reached an all-time high before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.5 billion international tourist arrivals in 2019. This marked a 4% increase on the previous year, confirming tourism as a leading and resilient economic sector. I mention this as the Middle East emerged as the fastest-growing region for international tourism arrivals in 2019, growing at almost double the global average (+8%). DOES THE AIRPORT’S GROWTH TRAJECTORY OVER THE LAST DECADE EXPLAIN WHY THE AIRPORT IS IN MIDST OF EXPANDING ITS FACILITIES? Yes, it does. The ongoing expansion of Hamad International Airport will increase its capacity to more than 60 million passengers per annum, and is ultimately an investment in Qatar’s future. It will cater to Qatar’s thriving economic diversification and growth and enable the airport to accommodate the success and growth of national flag carrier, Qatar Airways.
