Does Qatar need a new Maritime Law? Part 2
In the previous article; we concluded that more than 40 years after the issuance of the Qatari Maritime Law No. 15 of 1980, to the question of how necessary the State of Qatar needs a new maritime law to meet the developments and challenges of the maritime trade movement, in the light of the new and continuous changes and the development of maritime laws in the Arab region, the collective and bilateral agreements related to the seas, the growing Qatari maritime infrastructure, the dependence of global trade on maritime transport, the demarcation of maritime borders in the Arab region, the maritime fishing strategies, and other developments that have affected the international and regional maritime community.
Does Qatar need a modern maritime law?
In order to answer this question, we find it necessary for us to confirm that the international maritime community has experienced many great changes and challenges in the last 40 years, which is the age of the current Qatari maritime law in application.
Among these developments is the increasing reliance on digital technology, so the huge industry of shipbuilding and the global manufacturing companies has become entirely dependent on digitization to manage this industry. In addition, the ship itself has become loaded with a large amount of modern electronic devices, even fishing methods have changed over the last four decades.
As well as the changes that accrue to the methods of facing maritime collision, ships tow, and the responsibility of the owner, provider, pilot and other persons of maritime law, and the overlap and conflict of those responsibilities.
It is of utmost importance to know what are the needs of the maritime trade that passes through the State of Qatar, or enters it, or what is exported from it, and list those developments that are not regulated by the current maritime law, as well as Qatari seaports; whether old and recently developed, or those that have been established.
One of the important points that should be paid attention to when answering the main question in this article, is the compilation of all the legislative tools that regulate Qatari maritime navigation in a new law is better for the Qatari maritime community, or do those laws remain on isolated islands far from each other?
To be continued..