Nakilat, formally Qatar Gas Transport Company Ltd. Q.P.S.C., is a Qatari shipping and maritime group based in Doha. It was established in 2004 to support the country's ambition of becoming the world's largest exporter of natural gas, and it now carries Qatari LNG and LPG to customers worldwide while supplying ship repair, fabrication, towage, agency and vessel support services inside Qatar. The company publishes no general e-mail address, handling enquiries through offices, telephone numbers and web forms.
Fleet composition and ownership
The fleet comprises 69 LNG carriers and one jointly owned floating storage and regasification unit, a total of 70 vessels. Of the LNG carriers, 24 are conventional ships of 145,000 to 174,000 cubic metres, 31 are Q-Flex vessels of 210,000 to 217,000 cubic metres and 14 are Q-Max ships of 263,000 to 266,000 cubic metres. Combined capacity exceeds 14.28 million cubic metres, which the company puts at about 11 per cent of global LNG fleet carrying capacity. Twenty-nine carriers are wholly owned and 40 are jointly owned with international shipping partners. The wider fleet list adds two LPG carriers and 25 tugs and marine support vessels. Nakilat manages and operates 28 vessels itself, made up of 25 LNG carriers, two LPG carriers and the FSRU, which is owned through a joint venture with Excelerate Energy of the United States in which Nakilat holds the majority stake. Q-Max and Q-Flex ships carry 50 to 80 per cent more cargo volume than conventional LNG carriers, and the fleet is fitted with satellite communications and monitoring systems that support remote troubleshooting.
Expansion and long-term charters
Most of the fleet is committed under long-term charters, with the remainder trading in spot markets, and a fleet expansion programme is intended to take the total to 110 ships. The expansion is tied to Qatar's LNG production growth: in May 2024 QatarEnergy and Nakilat signed a long-term agreement to charter and operate nine QC-Max LNG vessels. Construction milestones followed at Korean yards, with steel cutting for 17 new LNG carriers at Hyundai Heavy Industries in May 2025 and the start of construction on six vessels at HD Hyundai Samho in March 2025. In July 2025 Nakilat and the Export-Import Bank of Korea launched a financing package covering 25 Korean-built conventional LNG carriers.
Shipyard, agency, towage and vessel support
Beyond shipowning, Nakilat operates an industrial and marine services cluster in Qatar. Ship repair and onshore and offshore fabrication are delivered through the subsidiary Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions, formerly N-KOM, and the joint venture Qatar Fabrication Company (QFAB) at the Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma Shipyard in Ras Laffan Industrial City. Nakilat Agency Company provides shipping agency services at all Qatari ports and terminals, towage and other marine support come through the joint venture Nakilat SvitzerWijsmuller, and a Vessel Support Unit supplies chandlery, storage and logistics to ships in Qatari waters. In June 2024 the company announced its intention to increase its ownership in Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions by 20 per cent.
Financial performance
Nakilat has reported steady profit growth across the last three years. Net profit was QAR 433 million in the first quarter of 2025, up 3.2 per cent, QAR 860 million for the first half of 2025, up 3.7 per cent, and QAR 1.31 billion for the nine months to September 2025, up 3.0 per cent. In 2026 it reported QAR 439 million for the first quarter and QAR 857 million for the first half. Nakilat Inc., the vehicle behind its secured notes, carries an AA- credit rating from S&P Global Ratings with a stable outlook, upgraded from A+ in November 2022.
Governance, safety and workforce
The company publishes a board of directors and an executive leadership team, a code of conduct, a safety philosophy and a whistleblowing channel open to suppliers and third parties. Its sustainability reporting is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Qatar National Vision 2030, and it has previously been recognised by the British Safety Council, receiving its Sword of Honour in 2018 and again in 2019. Workforce programmes include Qatari talent development, a scholarship programme and university internships. Corporate news in 2026 included a statement on an incident involving the LNG carrier Al Rekayyat in the Strait of Hormuz in July and an extraordinary general meeting held on 24 August 2026, which had been postponed from 19 August for lack of quorum.