French LNG membrane containment system designer GTT has opened its first office in the Middle East with a new base in Qatar.

The company held a ceremony to mark to start of its new Doha business late last week.

The new office will be headed by GTT Middle East general manager Amine El Kadiri, who has been with the company for five years and has been based in the Qatari capital since January.

The event was attended by GTT chief executive Jean-Baptiste Choimet and chairman Philippe Berterottiere, along with guests from domestic producing giant QatarEnergy, shipowner Nakilat and Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions, among others.

GTT officials explained that Qatar has had a significant influence on the development of its company.

They cited Qatar’s earlier project for 45 Q-Flex and Q-Max vessels, which helped evolve technological innovations and growth in GTT’s membrane tank designs.

QatarEnergy’s ongoing North Field Expansion project, which has seen orders for a further 128 LNG carriers — including 18 of new breed 271,000-cbm QC-Max ships — the first few of which have been delivered in the past three months.

GTT is keen to be close to this important partner in the region and Qatari entities such as Nakilat and its shipyard, along with other owners like Milaha, company officials explained.

In a social media post, GTT said: “The new office will serve as a hub for collaboration, innovation and excellence, reinforcing our dedication to advancing LNG technologies and sustainable solutions worldwide.

“This milestone underscores our commitment to be closer to our end-users and to provide to them a very reactive support,” GTT said. “We look forward to building strong connections and contributing to the development of this dynamic region.”