Plans are in progress to launch the first passenger and vehicle ferry between Qatar and Bahrain by the middle of next year
The new service will include two return trips a day from the Al Ruwais port in northern Qatar to the Khalifa bin Salman port in Bahrain and will take commercial as well as personal vehicles.
The service will be operated by the Qatari firm Gulf Ferry, with input from Doha-based Sora Marine Services.
An industry source told Doha News that this will be the first ferry service in recent years to run between Gulf countries.
The trip is estimated to take around 1.5 to 2.5 hours, compared to the 4.5 hour journey time by land from Qatar to Bahrain.
If the ferry is successful, there are also plans to operate one from Qatar to the UAE, although there is no timeline for this yet.
One boat has already been lined up to operate the route, with another soon to follow, the source revealed. Each vessel will have a capacity of around 50 vehicles and can hold approximately 100 passengers at a time.
The ferries allow vehicles to be driven straight onto and off a dedicated deck. There will also be separate passenger facilities. But the interior configuration of the vessels is still being confirmed, the source added.
A representative for Sora Marine Services confirmed to Doha News that preparations for the project were "ongoing", and said that full details of the service would be revealed early next year.
He added that the exact timings for the service have not yet been confirmed.
It is expected that the new land route will make it easier to transport goods between the two countries, and also open up more opportunities for tourists.
Attracting more visitors to Qatar from neighbouring Gulf states is a crucial part of its developing tourism industry as nearly half of the visitors to the country during the first half of the year were from GCC countries.
Qatar is also keen to encourage more people to travel by sea to explore its attractions, including on the cruise circuit.