The proposed facility will be connected to the mainland by an 8.5-kilometre-long bridge and have a free zone shared with the new airport. Its go-ahead from the government would see the existing Doha port being decommissioned.

The government has been considering moving the container port for several years, as a result of physical site constraints, a projected surge in cargo traffic and proposals to redevelop the area. Previous plans have included redeveloping existing ports, such as the small one at Al-Rowais in the north. Qatar's other port infrastructure, at Ras Laffan in the north and Mesaieed in the south, serves the needs of local gas, petrochemicals and steel industries.