Up to 80% of Extra Shipping Costs Back: How QDB's QR400m Logistics Support Fund Works

For Qatar's manufacturers, the extra cost of getting raw materials into the country has become a line item that eats directly into margins. In October 2026, Qatar Development Bank (QDB) expanded its Logistics Support Fund to QR400 million, offering a non-repayable grant that reimburses up to 80% of the increase in shipping costs compared with normal, pre-disruption levels. For a factory owner, that is not a loan to service or a guarantee to negotiate with a bank. It is cash back on costs already incurred, and it is available now. This guide explains what the fund covers, who can use it, how the application works and what to expect as QDB shifts the fund back towards exports.

What the Logistics Support Fund covers

According to QNA's report of QDB's announcement (14 October 2026), the fund supports Qatar-based manufacturers across all sectors through a non-repayable grant tied to the import of essential raw materials. The key features are:

• Size: the fund has been increased to QR400 million. QDB said the expansion raises the level of support available to each factory, but it has not published a per-factory figure.
• What is reimbursed: up to 80% of the increase in shipping costs, measured against normal levels before recent regional developments. It is the extra cost that qualifies, not the full freight bill.
• Modes of transport: air freight, sea freight and land transportation are all covered.
• Repeat claims: eligible factories can benefit more than once, subject to QDB's terms and conditions.

Uptake is already significant. QDB reports that it has approved 436 applications under the fund and that 154 factories have applied to date (Qatar Tribune, 15 October 2026). On QDB's own Situation Room page, the scheme appears as the "Logistics Support Fund Grant", described as financial assistance to offset rising shipping and transportation costs.

Who qualifies

The published criteria are broad: the grant is open to Qatar-based manufacturers in every sector, for imports of essential raw materials. What the public announcements do not include is equally important for planning:

• No per-factory cap has been published.
• No closing date has been announced.
• The detailed terms and conditions that govern repeat claims are not set out in the press releases.

Treat these as open questions to confirm with QDB rather than assumptions. The bank's Situation Room team can be reached at situationroom@qdb.qa or on 4430 0000, according to the Situation Room page.

How to apply

QDB describes the process as a fully digital experience run through the Qatar Exports Portal. As reported by Qatar Tribune, factories should:

1. Visit the Qatar Exports Portal and create an account, or log in with an existing factory account.
2. View the support amount allocated to the factory.
3. Submit the application and track its progress online, including the remaining balance of the allocation.

The announcements do not give a web address for the portal. QDB's export pages refer to a Qatar Exports Platform used for its export programmes, but QDB has not confirmed publicly that this is the same entry point, so check with the Situation Room before you register.

As general good practice (not a QDB requirement), prepare your evidence before you start. A clean file makes repeat claims faster:

• Freight invoices and bills of lading for each shipment, by mode (air, sea, land).
• A baseline: invoices for comparable shipments from before the disruption, so the increase can be shown clearly.
• Supplier invoices showing the raw materials imported and their link to your production.
• Your commercial registration and industrial licence details.

The fund will shift back to exports

The current import-cost track is an exceptional measure. QDB says the Logistics Support Fund exists to support the national industrial ecosystem and export operations, and that it is being used temporarily for the import costs of key raw materials. QDB CEO Abdulrahman bin Hesham Al Sowaidi said the bank "will gradually redirect the fund towards its primary objective of supporting exports" once import logistics costs return to normal (QNA).

Two practical conclusions follow. First, the import-cost window will not stay open indefinitely, so factories with eligible costs should claim while it is available. Second, manufacturers with export ambitions should keep the fund on their radar: once it returns to its export purpose, it will sit alongside QDB's wider export support, such as the Export Strategy service, which covers up to 70% of the service cost or up to QAR 62,000, whichever is lower.

Part of a wider support package

The fund sits inside QDB's Situation Room, which Qatar Tribune reports was launched in the first quarter of 2026 in response to regional developments. QDB said the expansion was shaped by private sector feedback. "We continue to develop our programs based on the needs of the private sector and the feedback we receive from companies and manufacturers," Al Sowaidi said.

Factory owners can combine the logistics grant with other Situation Room tools listed on QDB's page, including direct working capital financing for the industrial sector, raw material inventory financing for factories, supply chain financing for priority products and the "Stabilize & Sustain" advisory bundle (virtual CFO, cost reduction and turnaround support). Our guide to QDB's Working Capital Stabilization programmes covers the financing side in detail.

How it connects to NDS3 and Qatar National Vision 2030

QDB links the fund directly to the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy (NDS3) and the Qatar National Manufacturing Strategy 2024–2030. Both aim to grow a competitive, export-capable manufacturing base as part of economic diversification under Qatar National Vision 2030. Keeping local factories running at sustainable cost during supply disruptions protects that base, and redirecting the fund to exports afterwards supports the longer-term goal of selling Qatari products abroad. For producers also working on the domestic market, our piece on National Product Week and local shelf space covers the demand side.

What to do next

• Quantify the increase: compare current freight costs on raw material imports with pre-disruption shipments, by mode.
• Confirm the details: contact QDB's Situation Room to confirm the portal, your allocation and any caps or deadlines.
• Register early: set up or update your factory account on the Qatar Exports Portal.
• Claim regularly: repeat claims are allowed, so build a monthly or per-shipment routine rather than one large claim.
• Plan for the export phase: if you sell or plan to sell abroad, prepare for the fund's return to export support.

This article is general information based on QDB's public announcements as of November 2026. Terms may change; confirm eligibility and amounts directly with QDB.

Sources

• QDB Expands Support for Manufacturers Through Non-Repayable Grants Under Logistics Support Fund – Qatar News Agency (14 October 2026)
• QDB raises logistics support for Qatar factories to QR400 million – Qatar Tribune (15 October 2026)
• QDB's Situation Room – Qatar Development Bank
• Export Strategy – Qatar Development Bank

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