{
  "id": 7226557,
  "title": "Qatar seeks to capture China’s growing Gulf logistics push as war disrupts trade routes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/qatar-seeks-to-capture-chinas-growing-gulf-logistics-push-as-war",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T02:00:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SCMP Business",
    "slug": "scmp-business",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/business/markets/article/3367284/qatar-seeks-capture-chinas-growing-gulf-logistics-push-war-disrupts-trade-routes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Qatar is aggressively courting Chinese logistics firms as disputes with Iran hinder trade in the Gulf region, intensifying a broader Chinese strategy to diversify supply chains and establish a stronger presence in the Middle East. Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Thani, a member of Qatar's ruling family and CEO of WareOne, a logistics solutions company, emphasized that \"diversification of supply chains is happening globally.\" Chinese companies have rapidly expanded across the Middle East, with e-commerce giants SHEIN, Temu and AliExpress leading the charge, alongside electric vehicle and tech businesses. As companies transition from merely shipping goods from China to establishing local inventory and sales, they face a more intricate operating landscape. Sheikh Khalifa noted that while China boasts the world's most advanced supply chain, the real challenge lies in managing post-shipment operations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, where regulations, taxes, product registration, and local infrastructure requirements can be daunting. WareOne specializes in providing warehousing, customs clearance, fulfilment, and last-mile delivery services, connecting merchants with available logistics infrastructure rather than requiring them to build their own networks. The company collaborates with major e-commerce platforms like Noon and Temu and manages AliExpress returns in the Gulf through a partnership with a local Chinese logistics provider. Earlier this week, Sheikh Khalifa signed a memorandum of understanding at Hong Kong's Belt and Road Summit with logistics start-up Nexx, aimed at offering warehousing and last-mile services to Chinese merchants in the Gulf. The agreement aligns with Hong Kong's efforts to strengthen ties with China's Belt and Road Initiative and expand its connections with emerging markets. WareOne has rapidly grown to over 25 employees and 60 clients since its inception, handling hundreds of tonnes of goods and over 100,000 e-commerce parcels. The expansion follows Qatar's efforts to attract more trade and investment from Chinese companies, with the country investing in ports, aviation, roads, and free zones, positioning itself as a logistics hub for the region. Sheikh Khalifa compared Qatar to Hong Kong's role in relation to mainland China, stating that Qatar offers similar advantages as a gateway to the Gulf Cooperation Council.",
  "summary": "Qatar is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese companies as the conflict involving Iran disrupts trade routes in the Gulf, adding urgency to a broader push by Chinese businesses to diversify supply chains and establish operations closer to customers. “Diversification of supply chain is going ahead anyway, right across the world,” said Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}