Daniel Nordberg

What have been the major milestones of your company in Qatar?
GAC Qatar was established 40 years ago and has worked closely with local partners since then. In the 1990s, we were a team of just 50 people, but the company experienced significant growth after it set up an oil and gas department and the oilfield base in Al Khor in 2007. We set up a depot in 2008 to store empty containers in response to the congestion at Doha Port and opened our main warehouse in Salwa Industrial Area in 2012. We operate six warehouses in the country and offer 26,500sqm of covered, temperature-controlled space, including 11,000 pallet positions. In 2017, we established our presence in Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG export port. We were one of the few companies to offer full agency services at the port because we realized the potential of the Qatari market. This gave us first-mover advantage, and we saw a 70% increase in the number of calls we handled in 2018, much of which was directly related to Ras Laffan. We have continued to respond to growing demand for our services with the support of the authorities, for which we are grateful. GAC Qatar continues to invest in the country and support the national vision and the aspirations embodied by the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We have been active in sports logistics for many years now and have set up a dedicated team to gear up for this high-profile global event. We were the official logistics provider for the 15th Doha Asian Games and the 2011 Arab Games. Moreover, we have worked with the local organizing committee for the World Athletics Championship and World Beach Games.

What do you identify as the biggest opportunity for GAC?
The oil and gas sector in Ras Laffan continues to be a key focus area for GAC Qatar. As the world’s largest LNG exporter, Qatar is increasing its export capacity by 43% and developing its North Field expansion project, adding about 32 million tons per annum of liquefied gas to the market from 2024. We have been developing the team and infrastructure since 2017 to support that growth. We also foresee a growth in the sports and events sector in the lead up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This is another priority for us—and a niche that we can fill. We have been involved in global and regional sporting events since the early 2000s and have strong experience in this field. The planned free zones will be a key enabler for both the country and GAC Qatar, giving us a unique selling point. These are positive developments for the country, especially for the logistics sector, and will attract foreign investments.

What is your assessment of the quality of infrastructure in Qatar, especially related to the logistics sector?
Qatar has undergone massive infrastructure investments in recent years, including the new city of Lusail, the Doha Metro, Hamad Port, the expansion of the international airport, and facilities for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hamad Port is one of the largest ports in the Middle East and, once fully operational, will boast an annual capacity of 7.5 million TEUs. This will be supported by transshipment links by rail, sea, and road. Hamad Port will also play an important role in Qatar’s diversification plan, as the multi-billion-dollar development offers not just expanded capacity, but also new, sector-specific capabilities. Alongside general cargo traffic, the port will handle a variety of special imports including livestock, automobiles, and bulk grain. It will also host a base for offshore and marine support vessels. We are confident the infrastructure sector will continue to improve and bring about more opportunities for the country.