Undersecretary of the MoT H E Mohammed Abdullah Al-Maadeed (center); CEO of Dar Al Sharq Group Abdul Latif Abdullah Al Mahmoud (second right); and Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq Jaber Salem Al-Harmi (right) with other officials during the 4th Qatar Supply Chain Management Conference yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: The 4th Qatar Supply Chain Management Conference (SCMC) has called for stronger, more resilient and diversified supply networks to withstand global crises and ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods and services amid growing geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
The conference, organised by Dar Al Sharq Media Group and sponsored by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), was inaugurated yesterday by Undersecretary of the MoT H E Mohammed Abdullah Al-Maadeed under the theme “Supply Chains in Times of Crisis… From Shocks to Resilience”.
Attended by several senior officials and decision-makers, SCMC 2026 served as an ideal platform for exchanging expertise, discussing key challenges facing supply chains, and exploring modern solutions and technologies that help improve the efficiency of logistics operations, enhance supply chain resilience, and ensure the continued flow of goods and services amidst current economic and geopolitical shifts.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Al-Maadeed said that supply chains are no longer merely an economic and commercial system; rather, they have become a cornerstone of national security and a state’s capacity to withstand crises.
He suggested that the classical view of supply chains had always focused on maximising operational efficiency; however, a succession of geopolitical, economic, and health-related crises has reshaped priorities, revealing that efficiency alone is insufficient, and today the critical benchmark is supply chain resilience, that is, the capacity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from disruptions.
Therefore, building resilience, he explained, is no longer an option that can be deferred; rather it has become a national imperative that necessitates an all-out vision and a clear, actionable resolve.
The robustness of supply chains, he said, cannot be achieved through isolated measures or temporary responses; rather, it requires an integrated national framework that unites the efforts of both public and private sectors and such a framework ensures the continuity of the economy and essential services, while strengthening their capacity to adapt and endure-regardless of how circumstances may shift or how intense crises may become.
Al-Maadeed also warned that successive crises have shown that relying on a single route, a single source, or a single gateway is not just an operational risk, but a strategic vulnerability that can threaten supply security at the very first sign of disruption.
He also said that the resilience of supply chains is a shared responsibility and, for that, the private sec-tor is not merely a supporting partner; but a fundamental pillar of the national economic security eco-system. First Vice-Chairman of Qatar Chamber H E Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al-Kuwari said the conference had become an important platform bringing together stakeholders, experts and private-sector representatives to discuss developments and challenges in the sector and explore solutions to improve supply chainefficiency.
“Supply chains are no longer merely operations for transporting goods and raw materials, but have become a strategic element linked to economic and food security, continuity of production, market stability, and companies’ ability to maintain their continuity and competitiveness,” he said.
Al-Kuwari highlighted the need to build flexible and diversified supply chains capable of responding to crises, adapting to changes in global trade routes and addressing rising shipping and insurance costs.
Former Secretary-General of GCC H E Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah called for stronger coordination among GCC countries to address supply chain disruptions, describing the issue as a strategic concern affecting the food and economic security of the region.
He proposed establishing a joint GCC committee to exchange information, coordinate positions and respond swiftly to crises caused by supply chain disruptions. The proposed committee, he said, could function as a Gulf operations room to facilitate immediate coordination and ensure that appropriate decisions were taken in a timely manner.
Editor-in-Chief of Al Sharq Jaber Salem Al-Harmi said the ability to ensure the flow of goods and services had become one of the most important foundations of economic security and stability.
He stressed that supply chain resilience depended not only on the speed of deliveries or lower transport costs but also on the ability to maintain operations under difficult conditions, adapt to changing circumstances and respond effectively to unexpected challenges.
Al-Harmi said resilience began before a crisis occurred, through proper planning, investment in infrastructure, diversification of supply sources, stronger partnerships and coordination among public- and private-sector institutions. He highlighted Qatar’s development of ports, airports, transport networks, storage facilities and logistics services, as well as the expansion of trade partnerships with countries around the world.
Al-Harmi added that the conference, organised by Al Sharq newspaper, had evolved beyond an annual gathering to become a specialised national platform for dialogue and knowledge-sharing among decision-makers, experts and representatives of different sectors. He said the organisers hoped the discussions would produce practical ideas and recommendations to improve the readiness of supply networks and strengthen their ability to address future challenges.
