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Peggy Ye

Qatar is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese companies as the US-Israel war on 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 ruling Thani family and chief executive of Qatar-based logistics solutions company WareOne.
Chinese companies have expanded across the Middle East in recent years, with platforms including Shein, Temu and AliExpress growing alongside electric vehicle, technology and consumer businesses.
As more companies move beyond shipping goods from China to holding inventory and selling locally, they face a more complicated operating environment.
“China has the most developed supply chain in the world. The question is no longer whether goods can move [but] who operates at the other end, which is the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council],” Thani told the South China Morning Post on Thursday.
The six GCC markets have different regulations, taxes and product-registration requirements, while companies may need local entities, customs agents, warehouses, fulfilment centres and delivery networks, Thani said.
That can mean committing capital before demand is proven. “You have to build a warehouse, buy your own trucks and hire drivers. It costs you money,” he said.
That is where companies such as WareOne see an opportunity. It provides warehousing, customs clearance, fulfilment and last-mile delivery, connecting merchants with existing capacity rather than requiring them to build their own logistics networks.
Its model is to use existing infrastructure and invest in its own facilities where it sees gaps. “There is capacity already that exists. So you can plug in to that capacity through companies like us,” Thani said.


WareOne said it was connected with major e-commerce platforms including Noon and Temu. It also handles AliExpress returns in the Gulf through a partnership with a local Chinese logistics company, sending returned goods back to Hong Kong, he added.
Last Thursday, Thani signed a memorandum of understanding at Hong Kong’s Belt and Road Summit with logistics start-up Nexx to provide warehousing and last-mile services for Chinese merchants in the Gulf.
The deal comes as Hong Kong seeks to deepen its ties under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and strengthen links with emerging markets.
WareOne has grown to more than 25 employees and over 60 clients after about two years of operations, and has moved hundreds of tonnes of goods and more than 100,000 e-commerce parcels, according to Thani.
The expansion comes as Gulf economies compete to attract more trade and investment from Chinese companies. Qatar has invested heavily in ports, aviation, roads and free zones while seeking to position itself as a base for companies serving the wider region.
In June, Qatar Free Zones Authority chief executive Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Faisal al-Thani met JD.com CEO Sandy Ran Xu in China to discuss logistics and supply chains.
While Dubai remains a major regional logistics and commercial hub, Thani of WareOne said Qatar can play a complementary role, or the starting point, in the network.
He compared Qatar with Hong Kong, saying they had similar roles as connectors to larger economies.
“Why do people come to Hong Kong when the market is bigger in mainland China? Because of regulations, infrastructure and connectivity,” he said. “Similarly, Qatar has everything to offer to serve as the gateway for the GCC,” he added.


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Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales


Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales.


Qatar seeks stronger logistics ties with China as war disrupts trade routes

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales

Qatar logistics firm says Chinese businesses need local infrastructure and operating partners as they move into warehousing, fulfilment and sales