Transport

GCC eyeing US$170bn transport move over 10-15 years

Transport projects worth US$170bn are expected to be put in place in the GCC region over the next 10-15 years, an industry expert has said. About 85 percent of the investment is seen being made in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar while US$108bn of it is set to be spent on rail projects. Satish Khanna, general manager, Al Fajer Information and Services, which is staging the first GulfRail show and conference in Dubai in 2012, said that it would soon "be common for a person to travel from Dubai to Jeddah or Abu Dhabi to Doha in few hours, with convenience". He added: "In order to meet the pressing regional logistics demands, the next 10-15 years will see transport projects worth US$170 billion. Out of this, 85 percent will be spent by UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar." He added that plans to link Saudi Arabia to Europe by rail were no longer a "distant dream", adding that the key driver of the rail industry for the GCC would be public-private partnerships. "Investment opportunities in intelligent transport systems in the GCC are huge. The rail sector in this region is growing rapidly. Many companies outside the region regard the upcoming rail sector in the Middle East as the most lucrative opportunity to do business," Khanna added. He said the GCC network will include one rail line of 1,970km connecting all GCC countries and Qatar via a bridge. The second line of 1,984km will stretch between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and end in Oman.

Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies wins 10-year contract to support flydubai

Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT), the Middle East s largest independent aircraft technical solutions provider owned by Mubadala Development Company, has secured a ten year contract with flydubai to provide maintenance services for various fast track components of the airline s growing fleet of Boeing B737 aircraft. flydubai will take delivery of 45 more Boeing 737s and plans to operate routes to 40 destinations by 2011. flydubai becomes another addition to ADAT’s growing list of regional Low Cost Carriers and reaffirms the company s plans to establish long term relationships with its customers. This important contract win is further recognition of the growth and commercial success of ADAT s operations in the GCC region and internationally. It comes ahead of other major announcements the company will be making at Farnborough International Airshow, an event attended by global industry leaders and closely watched by business commentators. ADAT and its sister company SR Technics, based out of Zurich, work in close alignment to drive Mubadala Aerospace s plans to establish a global maintenance, repair and overhaul network centered in Abu Dhabi that covers the entire MRO value chain including engine, component and airframe capabilities.

Kuwait cargo city project set to be signed

Kuwait civil aviation officials are set to sign a contract to establish a cargo city project at Kuwait International Airport. The project will cover 3 million square km making it the largest cargo city in the Middle East, a statement by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is reported to have stated. It will be located between the existing western runway and the third runway, according to the report. The first phase of work includes building a parking area for 67 freighter Airbus A380 and Boeing B800-747 aircraft. The project is set to take 400 days to complete.

Egypt planning US$1bn tunnel under Suez Canal

Egypt plans to build a US$1 billion tunnel under the Suez Canal at Port Said and will begin seeking finance as soon as the designs are completed, the investment minister said. The tunnel, to be built 19 km (12 miles) south of the Canal's northern entrance, will have 3 passageways, one for rail and two for cars, the newspaper quoted Mahmoud Mohieldin as telling a conference in Dahab in the eastern Sinai Peninsula. The conference was called to discuss investment in the cities along the canal and in the Sinai, which the government is keen to develop following a number of clashes between security forces and impoverished Bedouin tribes. "There is good cooperation with international investment funds to finance the project, which will be entirely financed outside the state budget," Mohieldin said. Egypt now has two points for cars to cross the waterway -- a tunnel near the city of Suez and a bridge near Ismailia. Once the Port Said tunnel is finished, another tunnel is planned for Ismailia, Mohieldin told the conference.

RTA completes US$272m Dubai road project

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the completion of the 70-km long Dubai Bypass Road, stretching from Al Sajaa Interchange in Sharjah to the exit point from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, built at a cost of over AED1 billion (US$272.2 million). Announcing this in Dubai, Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, said, 'The Dubai Bypass Road is a key traffic corridor in the structural roads network plan undertaken by the RTA and offers an alternative motorway to Emirates Road and Sheikh Zayed Road as it provides an external corridor for motorists inbound from Northern Emirates and outbound to Abu Dhabi and vice versa without having to go through downtown area.' The Dubai Bypass Road is set to link up with Al Faya Road, known as Trucks Road, in Abu Dhabi in the third quarter of this year, he added. Al Tayer said the contractor was giving the final touches in the final phase IV, which stretches from the round about at the intersection with Jebel Ali - Al Hebab Road up to the entry point of Abu Dhabi. By opening phase IV, RTA has completed the opening of all phases of the Road which comprises 6 lanes in each direction,' he added. Al Tayer pointed out that owing to the massive nature of the project and as RTA was keen on accelerating the delivery of the project, it had been divided into four phases.

Joint venture wins US$750m Qatar airport contract

A subsidiary of Besix Group, the Belgian contractor that was involved in the construction of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, is part of a joint venture that has won the US$750m contract to expand Qatar's international airport. Six Construct Qatar, a subsidiary of Besix Group, was awarded the US$750m contract to build Phase 3 of the New Doha International Airport Passenger Terminal Complex in a joint venture with the Midmac Contracting Co, one of the largest contractors in Qatar. The winning of the contract was confirmed by Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), which owns 50 percent of Besix Group. "Six Construct Qatar's share of the contract is approximately US$375m or 50 percent of the total contract value," OCI said in a statement on its website. The joint venture will be responsible for all structural, mechanical and electrical works as well as design coordination for the airport lounge and retail area. The project is scheduled for completion during Q4 2012, the statement added.

Keo wins Riyadh monorail design contractt

Keo International Consultants, a global consultancy in the construction industry, has been awarded the contract to design bridges, depot and station for the new Riyadh monorail. Keo was awarded the contract by Saudi Oger, a top construction and FMservice provider, to design the 3.5 km elevated rail viaducts, switch bridges, long span bridges and 131 piers supporting the monorail train system, Station 1 and the train maintenance depot.