Transport

Kuwait: Working on the railway

Kuwait was one of the first countries in the region to float the idea of a metropolitan rapid transit network, and attention is once again returning to public transport projects in the country. While there has long been talk of developing a rapid transit system in Kuwait, the proposal has been taken further by the private Kuwait Overland Transport Union through a detailed feasibility study completed last year that included setting out routes and estimating the cost of the project. The plan called for a four-line metro grid to be built, with some two-thirds of the network to be elevated and the remainder below ground. According to government projections, when the 165-km network is fully operational, it will carry 69 million passengers a year.

Saudi Arabian Airlines modernizes fleet with Airbus A320 aircraft

Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country’s national airline, took the first step in fleet modernization by taking delivery of its first A320 aircraft from Alafco Aviation Lease and Finance Company (ALAFCO). The Airline’s A320 is the first to be equipped with high bandwidth in-flight entertainment system making it an option on all Airbus aircraft for the first time. This means that passengers can access high speed interactive services such as full audio and video on demand. The A320 will be deployed on routes in the region, to Europe and to the Indian subcontinent, from their hub in Riyadh. Depending on the configuration, the A320s will seat between 120 and 132 passengers in two classes. The aircraft are powered by CFM56 engines.

US$14bn new Doha airport to be opened in 2011

The US$14 billion New Doha International Airport (NDIA) spread over an area of 22 square kilometers will have the capacity to handle 24 million passengers and 1.4 million tons of cargo every year when it opens in 2011, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority Abdul Aziz al Noaimi has said. Noaimi said that the new airport would be approximately two-thirds the size of the city — 12 times larger than the existing airport. "The New Doha International Airport will be one of the most advanced airports in the world, staying true to its goal of becoming Qatar's gateway to the future”.