Doha, December 19 (QNA) - The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) urged the professional Qatari and international companies and unions that intend to operate the strategic silos project to participate in the tender procedures by submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI) applications.

During a press conference held Tuesday, HE Deputy Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs and Business Development at the MoCI, Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi, revealed that MoCI has embarked on the EOI phase from today until Jan. 14, 2024, followed by competition and submission of technical and financial bids, pointing out that the signing of the operating agreement with the private sector is expected to be in the Q1 of 2024.

HE Al Khulaifi announced the project of operating the Strategic Food Security Facilities (SFSF) at Hamad Port in partnership between public and private sectors, emphasizing that the strategic silos project aims to bolster food security for the State of Qatar.

The project is primarily oriented to support the stability and sustainability of food supplies to protect local markets from the geopolitical, economic, regional and global variations that would dramatically impact trade and food security sectors, as well as supplies, he added, pointing out that Qatar is aware of these factors, therefore, it has pivoted towards executing integrated policies to protect the national economy from fluctuations and has embarked on diversifying income sources, in addition to adopting a national strategy for food security that primarily aims to enhance and diversify the international trade, upgrade logistical services, increase self-sufficiency in vital sectors and build strategic reserves that undergird the stability of local markets.

Based on this orientation, the State of Qatar has been determined to give top priority to the strategic stock since it represents the backbone and the first defense line to address challenges, food crises, and emergencies, in addition to boosting the country's capabilities to stave off any potential shortages in food items to further support the sustainability of national food security, HE Al Khulaifi emphasized.

He pointed out that bolstering the state strategic stock hinges upon the synergistic efforts, energies and potential among the entire competent authorities, particularly the public and private sectors, recalling the issuance of law No. 12 of 2020 regulating the partnership between public and private sectors, which he confirmed, is a decisive step to achieve the typical integration of roles between the two sectors affording the private sector and its institutions -with their diverse sizes and specializations- the opportunity to double their contributions in carrying out major development projects in the State of Qatar.

The strategic silos project is a perfect model for the integration of roles and partnerships between the public and private sectors. Accordingly, the country has embarked upon providing the essential resources and financial support, he emphasized, outlining that the private sector has pivoted towards providing essential expertise and investments, as well as maximizing the utmost utilization of knowledge and technology.

He pointed out that multiple facilities of the project have been strategically established at Hamad Port in accordance with the best industrial practices and global standards by leveraging ample state-of-the-art technological applications to upgrade the storage capacities through facilities that offer importing, storing, processing, and distributing a plethora of fundamental food commodities such as rice, sugar, and edible oil. 

The strategic silos project aims to optimize management and equilibrium of the strategic stock by providing a two-year storage capacity for these food commodities to cover the needs of three million people living in 500,000 sq m plots.

The storage capacity for rice is estimated as 360,000 mt, while sugar is nearly 185,000 mt, and oil is about 130,000 mt. HE Deputy Undersecretary for Industrial Affairs and Business Development at MoCI, Saleh Majid Al Khulaifi, underlined that the work is currently underway to complete the commissioning of all project facilities, based on the targeted time schedule in coordination with the committee for following up on the implementation of food security policies in public and private sectors.

For his part, Deputy Director of the Food Security Department at the Ministry of Municipality, Hamad Hadi Al Hajri, said the strategic stock protects the food security system of Qatar from the global fluctuations arising from climate-driven extremes, and diversifies the international trade, operating as a guarantor for food security.

The food security strategy of Qatar has determined the targeted percentage from primary and secondary food commodities, along with the percentage of safety stock from each commodity, he pointed out. Ali Jaber Al Shaibani from the Hamad Port project steering committee said that there is a future expansion for the project parts, affirming that enough spaces are available to accommodate such an expansion, pointing out that Hamad Port has allocated a terminal for the SFSF project and had received the terminal's two mobile cranes and their accessories in August 2022.

The strategic silos project is a critical step towards bolstering the storage capacities for Qatar, as well as securing and upgrading the strategic stock system for food, consumer and catering commodities that would essentially elevate the privilege of Qatar as one of the most preeminent countries of the region, in terms of achieving food security and has the most adequate strategic stock since it has a belief that such sector is a core pillar of security and economic development. (QNA)