Doha: Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ) announced the inauguration of multi-use Regional Distribution Hubs with state-of-the-art facilities in Ras Bufontas Free Zone, located next to Hamad International Airport. On this occasion, CEO of the QFZ Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Faisal Al-Thani said: "The opening of the new 'Regional Distribution Hubs' in Qatar's free zones represents an advanced shift in the standards of building and constructing multi-use units used for manufacturing, production, and distribution. QFZ always seeks to develop world-class facilities and services that open up promising prospects for companies to expand regionally and globally, contributing significantly to Qatar's economic diversification, a key objective of the third National Development Strategy 2024-2030, while keeping pace with the increasing demand of investors from all over the world to establish and operate their businesses from the free zones in Qatar." The new hubs are supported by many advantages, notably the customs supp ort office located in Ras Bufontas Free Zone, a large area of up to 1,200 square meters distributed over three floors - 65 percent of which is for storage space and 35 percent for offices, energy-efficient facilities, and state-of-the-art furniture. Additionally, the hubs benefit from their strategic location near Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port, the largest sustainable port in the world, which connects them to global markets seamlessly, providing unlimited possibilities for air and sea transportation and freight services to ensure fast and efficient movement of goods, enabling companies to position themselves as strong regional distribution stations. CEO of Zones Development at the QFZ Eng. Ali Al Khalifa introduced the new facilities and presented the projects journey and said: "Todays inauguration of the 20 new 'Regional Distribution Hubs' in the Ras Bufontas Free Zone, which were built to the highest international standards as the first of its kind in Qatar and equipped with the latest technol ogy, represents a milestone in our vision for the development and growth of free zones in Qatar. They include many features such as high-speed roller shutters that close in less than 3 seconds, charging points for electric cars, photovoltaic solar energy systems, automatic docking assistance, and many others, in addition to providing each hub with six independent parking lots, noting that 60% of the building materials were from local sources to encourage local industries, which was constructed by AMANA Qatar Contracting Co." As a result of the combined efforts, all new "Regional Distribution Hubs" obtained the Global Sustainability System (GSAS) certification in design and construction. For the first time, modern dispute avoidance tools were applied, ensuring the completion of the construction of these units on time and within the allocated budget. The new design of the "Regional Distribution Hubs," with the ability to merge more than one unit together, represents part of QFZ's plan to keep pace with the evo lving needs of companies and investors by updating its infrastructure and facilities. These 20 new "Regional Distribution Hubs" in Ras Bufontas Free Zone, along with the already existing 78 "Light Industrial Units" in Ras Bufontas Free Zone and Umm Al Houl Free Zone, generate a total number of 98 multi-use ready-built units. Source: Qatar News Agency