One of the largest maritime and logistics companies in the Middle East has announced the launch of the first direct reefer service between Qatar and Turkey. 

Milaha said it had arrived with two ad hoc voyages of reefer vessels from Turkey in Qatar over the past few weeks, and it had now moved to regularize the service.

There will be departures every 20-25 days between Hamad Port and Port of Izmir, with a transit time of 11 days.

The new service will be initially operated with one vessel with a capacity of over 5,000 metric tons (MT) per voyage, and will cater mainly to temperature-controlled cargo and breakbulk, with the option of adding containers upon request.

“Trade volumes between Qatar and Turkey have significantly increased over the past few months, and we are launching this service as a cost-effective and efficient solution for this growing demand," said Milaha president and CEO Abdulrahman Essa Al-Mannai.

"This service perfectly complements our existing services, and will further enhance connectivity and facilitate trade between Qatari, Arabian Gulf, and Turkish importers and exporters.”

In June this year, several countries abruptly cut off trade and diplomatic relations with Qatar. The countries include Saudi Arabia - with whom Qatar shares its only land border - the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. 

Milaha said it had recently expanded into several new shipping routes and accelerated deployment of new supply chain solutions across a number of countries. 

It currently calls at two ports in Oman (Sohar and Salalah), three ports in India (Nhava Sheva, Mundra, and Kandla), and one port in Kuwait (Shuwaikh).

Photo: Port of Izmir, Shutterstock

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