The first stamp on the below image is of a Qatar Stamp issue celebrating the UPU, and so has little if any connection to ships passing through Qatar. The ships belonged to the Peninsular and Oriental Company. It began its life mainly on routes from Britain to the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain). As it expanded, it absorbed the Oriental Line which mainly carried mail to India and the Far East and Australia.
The next two issues represent anniversaries of the United Arab Shipping Company. The company was founded in 1976 with the shareholders being the governments of Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE) and the headquarters were in Kuwait at the time. During the Iraq invasion of Kuwait the headquarters moved to Dubai.
In 1982, UASC commissioned 9 vessels from the Hyundai Heavy Industries, two of which were registered in Qatar as explained in the image below. It continued to grow, becoming one of the top 10 container shipping companies in the world, with a fleet of 56 vessels.
The company merged with Hapag-Lloyd in 2016, becoming its largest shareholder.
Other countries celebrations of the United Arab Shipping Company anniversaries:
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