As Qatar looks to modernize navy, Turkey and Italy emerge as dominant players
Qatar's navy ambitions are broad and impressive, but can they be sustained?
Fincantieri, Italy’s shipbuilding champion, officially handed over the Al Fulk landing platform dock (LPD) to Qatar's Ministry of Defense on Nov. 29. This event marks a pivotal moment in the Qatari navy's modernization program, which is enhancing Doha’s naval capabilities with a versatile amphibious ship for a range of missions.
Over the past decade, Qatar has pursued a pragmatic strategy to enhance its navy's capabilities and endurance. Doha's focus is on building a small yet flexible force, with platforms that offer robust functionality without over-relying on very complex or potentially vulnerable systems. The fleet of the Qatar Emiri Navy, though still limited in size, includes some of the Gulf region’s most technologically advanced vessels, demonstrating a growing resolve to excel in the maritime domain.
Building naval muscles
The delivery of Al Fulk marks the latest achievement in Doha's ambitious naval modernization program, a key component of its broader effort to transform military capabilities and strengthen its regional defense standing. Over the past decade, Qatar has undertaken significant equipment acquisitions: Between 2019 and 2023, Qatar became the world's third-largest arms importer, accounting for 7.6% of global imports and recording a 396% increase over the previous four years, according to SIPRI.
