LONDON: According to Iran's State News Agency the UK's Corus rail is poised to win a track order from Iran that would help to secure jobs at its Workington plant in north-west England. There was no mention of the value of the order but according to the local Times and Star newspaper, the supply would be over two years and would treble the amount of rails, currently 20,000 tonnes a year, being shipped through Workington`s port.

MANAMA: A causeway linking Bahrain and Qatar and an agreement on supplying Bahrain with Qatari natural gas were the highlights of a two-day visit by Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Jassim Ibn Hamad Al Thani to Bahrain. According to a joint communiqué issued at the end of the talks, Qatar and Bahrain agreed “on swiftly finalising the necessary studies to build a causeway linking the two countries, and the possibility of signing an agreement with Qatar to provide Bahrain with natural gas.” Preliminary estimates have put the cost of the road link at up to $2 billion.

BAGHDAD: Bechtel has announced the opening of the south span of the Al Mat Bridge, a key transportation link in Iraq approximately 300 kilometres west of Baghdad. The four-lane Al Mat bridge is located on Highway 10, which carries over 3,000 trucks daily, bringing humanitarian aid and goods to Baghdad and other Iraqi cities from Jordan. To accommodate traffic on this vital route, Bechtel constructed a bypass around the damaged bridge, which opened in July 2003.

TEHRAN: A senior official with the Ministry of Road and Transportation has said that the Iranian and Iraqi transportation ministers have agreed on rail transport co-operation between the two countries. Alamouti, director general for international affairs at the Ministry of Road and Transportation, said that once Iran's rail network is linked to that of Iraq, the Islamic state's rail transport will reach Syria and onward to Europe. The official said Iraqi and Syrian officials have expressed their readiness to contribute to this project.

DAMASCUS: Syria and Saudi Arabia have laid the foundation stone for a $45 million to $70m modernisation project of the renowned Al Hijaz Railway Station in Damascus, a project officials say will create 10,000 jobs. The station is the northern terminus for the old Al Hijaz railway, an old Ottoman-built line that took pilgrims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia and was intended to boost commerce in the Arab region. The project is being financed and carried out by Saudi Arabia's Al Salam Group.

MANAMA: Bahrain needs a comprehensive strategy to cope with the possible traffic snarls after the completion of the $1.7 billion Bahrain-Qatar causeway, said a research report presented by a group of the Gulf Executive Development Programme at the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF). BIBF, in conjunction with Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia, has organised a series of presentations as part of the GEDP graduation programme. The areas covered by the presenters were the conceptual design including the alignment and landing points of the 38-kilometre causeway.

AMMAN: The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU's long-term financing institution, is providing a loan of $32 million (€26 million) to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for the construction of the first phase of the Amman ring road. The project consists of the construction of the first phase of the planned road, which is expected to have a total length of 116 kilometres. The first phase will see the construction of 41 kilometres on the eastern end of Amman. It also includes the relocation of the Amman Customs Depot and the infrastructure and utility services for an inland port.

MUSCAT: A loan agreement worth RO7.692 million (approximately KD6 million) was signed between the Sultanate and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development at the Finance Ministry recently to finance part of the cost of rehabilitating Nizwa-Thumrait Road (second phase). Ahmed bin Abdulnabi Macki, minister of national economy and deputy chairman of the Financial Affairs and Energy Resources Council, signed the agreement on behalf of the Sultanate's government, while Abdul Latif Yousef Al Hamad, chairman of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and its director-general, signed for his side.

TUNIS: The European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term financing arm of the European Union (EU), will provide a further €45 million loan under its "Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership,” for the light metro network in Greater Tunis, Tunisia. The network will be EIB’s first partnership with Société des Transports de Tunis (STT), the newly created entity set up by the Tunisian authorities in early 2003 by the merger of Société du Métro Léger de Tunis and Société Nationale de Transport.

RABAT: Spain and Morocco have agreed to build a 39 kilometre rail tunnel beneath the Mediterranean sea, Spain's Development Ministry has said. The tunnel will run beneath the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Spain from North Africa. The site was chosen because the Mediterranean at that point is only around 300 metres deep. The project for a fixed link, first mooted in 1980, was revived at a summit in Morocco earlier this month.

RABAT: Moroccan Railways (ONCF) has awarded Italy’s Ansaldobreda, a subsidiary of the Finmeccanica Company, an order for the supply of 18 double deck Electrical Multiple Unit (EMU) trains, with an option for six more. The base order is worth a total €143 million. Service is planned to begin in 2006. This is the first time ONCF has purchased double deck trains. The new trains have an operating speed to 160 kilometers per hour, a first class compartment, a closed-circuit toilet in each car and a high capacity air conditioning system.

MUSCAT: A loan agreement was signed at the Finance Ministry between the Sultanate's government and the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development. Accordingly, the Kuwaiti Fund will grant the Sultanate a loan of 5 million Kuwaiti dinar to finance part of the RO15.981 million cost of constructing Nizwa/Thumrait road (second phase).  As per the agreement the loan will be paid through biannual instalments for 16 years, preceded by a four-year period of grace. The project is meant to develop transport services between the Sultanate northern and southern parts.

RIYADH: Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al Seraisry has signed 60 contracts worth SR1.65 billion with 29 companies for the maintenance of roads in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Last week, the minister signed a contract to complete the two-way Jeddah-Laith-Qunfuda-Jizan Road at a cost of SR510 million. The Kingdom has 46,683 kilometers of roads including expressways.Seraisry visited Jizan and inspected the roads and bridges damaged by torrential floods there. Work on the Jeddah-Jizan coastal road would start soon, he said.  

MANAMA: BAHRAINIS and Saudis using the King Fahad Causeway will soon be able to travel between both countries without having their passports stamped, it has been  announced. The new policy, which follows the directives of Interior Minister Shaikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, will come into effect on August 28. General Directorate of Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs public relations head Nasser Al Thawadi said the policy will be implemented on a trial basis for six months, before being given the final go-ahead. He said it will lead to a faster service as travellers from both countries would only need to present their passports for photo identification.

Turkey said it had reopened a railroad to Iraq via Syria amid efforts to bolster trade between the neighbouring countries. Trains carrying foodstuffs and materials for reconstruction would travel to and from Iraq four times a week along the reopened railroad, a statement released by the Turkish railway authority said. The railroad, which terminates in Baghdad, was closed in late February, just ahead of the invasion of Iraq by coalition troops. Turkish and Iraqi firms also trade through the Habur border gate between Turkey and northern Iraq, used before the war to transit food and medicine under a UN oil-for-food programme, as well as a sanctions-busting diesel trade. Turkey says it has lost more than $30 billion in trade with Baghdad since the 1991 Gulf War.  

DAMMAM: Private operators of land transport to various destinations in the Kingdom as well as to neighboring states have reduced their fares by nearly 30 percent, providing stiff competition to the state-run Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO). In a bold move, land transport operators in the Eastern Province agreed among themselves to reduce fares to several domestic destinations as well as to some Arab and GCC countries in order to attract more passengers and compete with SAPTCO. The land transport business has been in recession for a long time with its only boom period during Haj.

Despite tense relations between the United States and Syria, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) applauded the resumption of railway services between northern Iraq and the state labeled by the US as a supporter of terrorism. The train will run twice a week and take approximately 15 hours to reach Baghdad from the Syrian border. The first train to travel the route between Rabiyah, a border town and Baghdad left the station on Wednesday, July 30, 2003. Operations were renewed under the administration of the US Army, the official supervisors of Iraq’s northern region, reported AFP. Some $1.4 million has been invested by the 101st Airborne Division on reparations in the region.

According to the US-led CPA, the train includes mainly oil tanker cars and several passenger cars. The cars are expected to allow Iraq's petroleum industry to increase refinery output by one-third. “They are important for us here in Iraq because they will significantly raise ability to move crude around the country and particularly to get crude oil to the refineries," said a coalition spokesman.

Genavco, part of the Juma Al Majid Group, represents one of the leading road construction equipment manufacturers in the world - the Wirtgen Group.

Recently, Genavco announced the success of their Road Construction Division in this market. In the year 2002, Genavco had sold a total of 60 Hamm Rollers and 10 Vogele Pavers. By doing so, it has achieved the top sales position in the UAE road construction industry. And they attributed their accomplishments to one of their most prestigious clients viz. Emirates Roads Contracting. 

Not limited to the Emirate of Dubai alone, Genavco is also involved in the Sharjah - Ras Al Khaimah Road Project 1st Phase. Recently, Genavco also secured an order for 2 Vogele Super 2100 pavers with 12m wide screed and 10 Hamm rollers form the Abu Dhabi based Bin Hafiz Contracting for their upcoming Al Dhafrah Airport Project.

MANAMA: Public transport practices in Arab countries will come under the spotlight at an international conference being held in Bahrain later this year. The event, under the patronage of Transportation Minister Shaikh Ali Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, will be held at the Diplomat Radisson SAS Hotel on October 21 and 22. It is being organised by the Centre for Transport and Road Studies at the Bahrain University's College of Engineering in co-ordination with the General Committee for Road Safety and the Arab Union for Land Transport. It will be entitled Moving People and Goods in Arab Countries: Experiences, Challenges and Future Vision.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's plan to introduce road toll is still being studied by the Supreme Economic Commission, a top official said. Minister of Transport Dr Jabara Al Seraisry did not say when the commission would reach a decision, according to a report in Arab News. The toll plan, if approved, would be imposed on new roads only, and only where they are not the sole means of transportation between areas, the minister said. Dr Al Seraisry also said that a committee had been set up by the commission to make final recommendations for the appointment of separate financial and technical advisers for the railway expansion project.

AMMAN: The state-run Aqaba Railway Corporation (ARC) has announced its intention to float a tender within the coming few months to construct a 22.5-kilometre railway stretch connecting Shidiyeh phosphates mines with the country's main railway network linked with the port city of Aqaba. “The project is expected to cost nearly JD20 million and it will be a joint venture carried by local and international contractors,” said ARC Director General Laith Dababneh. Funds for the project, he indicated, will be secured from local banks. “We are now discussing with the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) how best to implement the project,” said Dababneh. He pointed out that French company Sistra, a worldwide railway construction firm, completed a study on designing the project last year.

MUSCAT: Larsen & Toubro (Oman) LLC — a joint venture of Larsen & Toubro Limited (India) and The Zubair Corporation — has successfully completed the first public road tunnel in Oman. At a recent news conference at the Barr Al Jissah Resort, a senior engineer said the project would be monitored over a period of one year. The 130-metre-long tunnel has been completed within the boundaries of the Barr Al Jissah Resort, said Gramasubbu, senior engineer of L & T Oman. The tunnel was designed to carry service pipelines in the service corridor. The tunnel is shaped like a horse-shoe with a finished dimension of 6.65x 6.16m. The advancement to the tunnel was done from both ends of the tunnel. The tunnel was completed on April 1, 2003 — 11 days before schedule.

HERAT: Construction operation of  Dougharoun-Herat road has reportedly made 80 per cent progress. Mohammad Taher Modarresi, an official at the Afghan transportation organisation, said that the project will become operational by end of the current Iranian calendar year, March 20, 2004. Construction of the 122-kilometre Dougharoun-Herat road, which will link this northeastern Iranian province to the Afghan city of Herat, is currently underway in line with a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan. Iran has allotted some $560 million to reconstruction of the  war-torn Afghanistan.

MANAMA : An ambitious $4 billion (BD1.512 billion) project to build a rail network linking Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar is still in its embryonic stage, says Bahrain's Works and Housing Minister Fahmi Al Jowder. "It is a proposal only - an ambitious idea for us to basically just consider," he said. "There are a lot of aspects to take into consideration and a lot for the three countries involved to agree upon before the idea is accepted." One of the sticking points could be the cost, said Al Jowder. "In the first instance, the cost of is prohibitive. It is estimated to cost about $4 billion," he said.  

RIYADH : Efforts are under way to reduce congestion in the capital by establishing a metro system. The Arriyadh Development Authority (ARD) will establish the system, which will operate in two main areas of the capital. Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, a senior ARD official, told Arab News that the government body had reached a final decision regarding the areas where public transportation will be used in the capital. The first phase will operate between Olaya and Batha districts and along Prince Abdullah Road, with Olaya-Batha being first. The development authority has approved both those areas after debating the issue and making use of a study carried out on the project. Light trains, in addition to buses, will replace the often-dilapidated old mini-buses currently used by private owners to take passengers from the southern part of the city — the old downtown area — to the newer areas in the north. 

MANAMA: Bahrain Magno Express, the proposed high-speed train project linking Dammam, Manama and Doha, is likely to be built on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. The project is estimated to cost $4.12 billion, a report said. The chairman of the Germany-based IABG, Rudolf F Schwarz, at a meeting of prospective investors held at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry premises, said the project would drastically reduce traffic load on the roads of all three countries, said a Bahrain Tribune report. The project includes the 206-kilometre track, stations and other facilities. The cost of the project from Manama to Dammam, covering 65 kilometres will be $1.3 billion and Manama to Doha covering 141 kilometres $2.82 billion, the report quoted him. 

JEDDAH: A financial consultant for the proposed railway expansion project linking Jeddah with Dammam and Jubail in Sauid Arabia is likely to be announced in a few days, said a report."We have invited the selected firms to send their offers. The winner will be picked within the next few days," Arab News quoted president of the Saudi Railway Organisation, Khaled Al Yahya, as saying. The financial consultant will formulate the projects and then invite offers from international and local firms to construct the railways. They will also submit complete studies for the privatisation of the railways and integrate it into the company or consortium that will be awarded the project. 

MUSCAT: Oman National Transport is planning to start two non-stop bus services between Sharjah in the UAE and Muscat and Salalah in Oman in June, it has been reported. Meanwhile bus fares to Oman from Dubai will increase by 20 per cent from May 1, the report said. The fare to Muscat is likely to range between Dh200 and Dh220. The fare to Salalah has not been decided, it said quoting an executive. Refreshments will be served on the bus service along with entertainment facilities, it said.

RIYADH: The Riyadh-based secretariat general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is looking at plans to build an a railway network to link Gulf Arab states. The Islamic Development Bank is studying the feasibility report of the project, the Khaleej Times has reported citing a GCC official. Mohammed Obaid Al Mazroui, GCC assistant secretary-general for economic affairs, told a symposium in Dubai that the project was still in the initial stages.

MANAMA: A fleet of more than 30 buses will begin plying Bahrain's roads next month when a new private bus operator takes over public transport services. The new fleet operator is Cars Transportation Corporation (CTC), a joint venture between the local Abdullah Ahmed Bin Hindi Company and UAE-based Cars Company. The services are now run by the Public Transport Directorate at the Ministry of Transportation. The fleet will be composed of 35 airconditioned 51-seater buses and several 30-seaters, said CTC director Ahmed A Bin Hindi. These Mercedes Benz buses have a Marcopolo Gran Viale body from Brazil. The operator has divided Bahrain into five transport zones.

MANAMA: Road transport operators in Bahrain have been given the go-ahead to recruit foreign truck drivers. This follows complaints from transport companies that, there was a lack of Bahraini truck drivers to fill positions, said Khalid Kanoo, the President of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). Labour and Social Affairs Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi gave the green light for the new policy. "Transport companies came to us because they could not get Bahraini drivers, but they were not allowed to employ non-Bahrainis," said Kanoo.

MANAMA: A monorail network may be the answer to Bahrain's traffic flow problems, Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa has said. He ordered Government officials to investigate the possibility of a rail system running on suspension bridges similar to that used successfully in other countries such as Thailand. The premier, who was holding a majlis for Ministers, religious figures and media representatives, said it was clear that flyovers alone were not the answer to the growing volume of traffic in the kingdom and a more scientific way of solving the problem was needed.

MUSCAT: The Tender Board has held its fifth meeting of the year under the chairmanship of Malik bin Suleiman Al Ma’amari, minister for transport and telecommunications, and the board chairman. The meeting awarded tenders worth RO24.3 million, notably a project to construct Rustaq Maskan road at a total cost of RO9.6 million, the consultancy services of a project to establish a power and desalination plant in the wilayat of Sohar at a cost of RO981,000, a tender worth RO2.031 million to print and supply text books for the academic year 2003-2005 and a tender valued RO270,000 to supply surgical material for Royal Hospital.

Kish: Iranian Minister of Roads and Transportation Ahmad Khorram has predicted further traffic jam in Tehran province given that the number of cars will double in the next six years. This, he said, calls for planning for construction of two highways a year, IRNA said. Khorram said on sidelines of road building projects in Tehran that the number of automobiles on the streets will exceed 10 million by 2008. He said less than 100,000 cars have been added to Iran's transportation fleet a year after the triumph of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. He added that about 300,000 cars joined Iran's transportation fleet during March 2001-2002 and 500,000 since March 2002.

MUSCAT: Road-building agreements worth RO16.34 million were signed at Nizwa wali’s office recently by Malik Bin Sulaiman Al Ma’amari, transport and telecommunications minister, with local contractors. The agreements cover the construction of Qiran Tiwi and Halout Kibda road in the wilayat of Sur, asphalting Wadi Al Ain road in the Dhahirah region, construction of  Sint Wadi Al A’ala road in the wilayat of Bahla, construction of Al Jiza road in the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi and asphalting two  sections of Birkat Al Mauz Sieq road. Other contracts also provide for asphalting Wadi Dima road in the Sharqiyah region, asphalting Wadi Al A’ala road and part of Wadi Al Ain road, designing and implementing 27km Khalouf road in the Wusta region, asphalting Niyabat Hamra’a Al Doro-Niyabat road, asphalting Sefam and Al Aqair road in the wilayat of Bahla, asphalting road linking Jabal Al Hadid villages with Manah Zakait road, asphalting Sima Muqazah road in the wilayat of Izki and asphalting Wadi Indam road in the Sharqiyah region.

KISH: Iran's Ambassador to Kabul Mohammad-Ebrahim Taherian said recently that Iran is to provide Afghanistan with $560 million in assistance for its reconstruction and development projects. Taherian told IRNA that Iran had declared its intention to extend the cash to Afghanistan at Tokyo meeting in January 2002.He said Iran has in a year from the meeting provided Afghanistan with $50 million to implement two major road and bridge building projects.

MANAMA: Bus passengers in Bahrain are being promised improved services when the service is privatised in May.  Cars Transport Corporation -- a joint venture between Bahrain's A A Bin Hindi Group and Dubai-based Cars ETA-Ascon Group -- takes over the services under a five-year contract signed with the Transportation Ministry. The operator plans to raise the minimum fare from 50 fils to 150 fils and  axe some routes in favour of more busy ones. The current public transport fleet will be replaced initially by 32 top class buses by mid-May, said AA Bin Hindi group executive director Ahmed Bin Hindi.

DAMMAM: The number of pilgrims traveling to Makkah by bus from the Eastern Province is larger than at any time in the last 20 years, according to local transport operators.Although national carrier Saudia is reporting overbooking for the Haj period, estimates are that the bulk of pilgrims are going by road. More than 1,000 buses have been booked from Qatif alone, and many more pilgrims are on waiting lists. Tour operators are finding it difficult to cope  with the demand. "We have had to rent more than a 100 buses from Kuwait and Qatar at premium rates," Muhammad Al-Nasser of Safa Haj operators said.  

DAMMAM: Saudi Arabia has shortlisted eight international groups for the financial consultancy contract on its proposed billion-dollar railway project. The consultancy contract involves drawing up plans for the projects, inviting tenders from international and local firms for the construction of the railways, and carrying out studies on privatising the railway. The winning contractor will carry out the 1,600-kilometre work on a build-operate-transfer basis and will be granted a long-term concession. The main project involves adding a 950-kilometre rail link between Riyadh and main commercial port of Jeddah on the Red Sea. This will complete the rail link between the country’s east and west coasts through the existing link between Riyadh and Dammam.

BARKA:  Sheikh Ali bin Nassir Al Mahrooqi, wali of Barka, opened a number of internal road projects in the wilayat. The ceremony was attended by members of the State Council and Majlis Al Shura and officials of public and private establishments. Mohammed Bin Moosa Al Zedjali, deputy director-general of regional municipalities, environment and water resources in Southern Batinah region, gave a speech on the occasion in which he stressed the importance of these projects. He said the ministry was always keen on keeping abreast with the wide architectural progress in the sultanate by implementing such projects which serve a number of villages and areas in the region.  

ADAM: Mohammed Bin Ali Bin Nassir Al Alawi, Oman’s minister of legal affairs, recently inaugurated the Adam-Sinaw road in the Dakhiliyah region. Present at the ceremony were ministers, undersecretaries, members of the State Council and Majlis Al Shura and dignitaries. The inauguration coincides with the Sultanate’s 32nd National Day. The 55-kilometre road, constructed at a cost of RO1.9 million, will link the wilayat of Adam with the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi in the Sharqiyah region and is expected to promote trade and other economic activities in the two wilayats.

MUSCAT: Oman will impose a road tax, raise petrol prices and reduce spending to make up for a decrease in oil revenues in the 2003 budget, Economy Minister Ahmed Bin Abdul Nabi Mekki has said. The road tax, ranging from three to eight rials ($7.7 to $20.5) according to the type of vehicle, will be imposed on every vehicle leaving the sultanate via its land borders, he said. The measures are designed to beef up state revenues following the adoption of a 2003 budget with a projected deficit of 400 million rials ($1.02 billion).

F030-060103
Posted 6^th January 03

RIYEDH: Mercedes-Benz has secured two major orders in Saudi Arabia. SAPTCO, the largest intercity operator in Saudi Arabia, has ordered 300 of the Mercedes-Benz Tourism coaches produced by Mercedes-Benz in Turkey, stated a press release. Delivery of a further 150 urban buses based on the O 500 M 1728 chassis produced in Brazil and equipped with a Marcopolo body has also been agreed to, with both orders to be delivered in 2003. Following a further invitation to tender issued by the state-owned transport operator in Dubai, Mercedes-Benz has also won an order to supply 130 urban buses.

F029-060103
Posted 6^th January 03

AMMAN: The Jordanian government has selected 47 local transportation companies to transfer 5.5 million tonnes of Iraqi oil by truck to the Kingdom next year. The cost of the operation is estimated at 40 million Jordanian dinars ($56.3 million), reported Petra. A new pipeline linking the eastern Zarqa oil refinery in Jordan with the Al Haditha oil wells in Iraq, will replace the use of trucks for transferring oil to the Kingdom by 2004.

F028-060103
Posted 6^th January 03

ALGIERS: The African Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $76.85 million to finance the Constantine highway bypass project - phase II project in Algeria. The venture aims to improve the traffic flow by reducing transport costs, travel time and road accidents. The ADB loan will be used to finance the construction of a 13- kilometer section of the highway with a three-lane dual carriageway of 3.5 meters wide each and a 2.5 metre wide emergency lane for the Ain El Bey - RN3 interchange section and a two-lane expandable to three-lane dual carriageway for the RN interchange -CW 133 interchange section.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company has announced plans to expand its fleet of 2,945 buses to 3,095 following an SR60 million agreement signed between SAPTCO and Al Jufali Company for supply of vehicles. SAPTCO has also announced that it will operate a large fleet of Mercedes Benz luxury buses to transport pilgrims during this Haj. “A total of 150 Mercedes Benz air-conditioned buses will be purchased from Al-Jufali Company under this agreement,” Abdullah ibn Abdulrahman Al Miqbel, undersecretary at the Ministry of Communications and chairman of the SAPTCO’s board of directors has been quoted as saying.

ANKARA: The European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Union's long-term financing institution, is providing a loan of €225 million to the Republic of Turkey, represented by the Undersecretariat of the Treasury for upgrading, rehabilitating and extending the capacity of priority roads on the main corridors from Istanbul to the South and Eastern parts of Turkey. This is the first major EIB loan in Turkey in the road transport sector. The two corridors carry local and international traffic from the EU through the Balkans and Greece, to the South of Turkey, as well as to the Eastern Black Sea region. The first road scheme concerns some 134 kilometres between Adapazari and Bozyk, on a major north-south corridor. The second road scheme, which is located between Ankara and Samsun, the major Turkish city on the Black Sea coast, stretches along some 400 kilometres.

MANAH: Manah-Zekit Road was inaugurated in the Dakhiliyah region recently under the auspices of Sheikh Mua’dhed Bin Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al Ya’aqoubi, Wali of Manah. The opening ceremony of the 20-kilometre- long road, which cost RO600,000 will serve the residential areas of Al Mahyoul and Zekit and link with Nizwa-Thumrait and Izki-Sinaw roads. A ceremony was held in Al Ghalilah village in the wilayat of Sur to mark the inauguration of interior asphalt roads project. The RO435,000 , 18-kilometre-long and seven-metre wide road, which took over five months to complete, was mainly to invigorate commercial activities in the village and link the village with the main road.

Lawyers sought for Saudi rail project

RIYADH: International law firms have been invited to submit expresssions of interest for legal advisory on the planned billion-dollar railway project.  The project entails the construction of new railway lines from Riyadh to Jeddah (around 950 kilometres), from Dammam to Jubail (115 kilometres) and a rail link (570 kilometres) connecting Makkah with Jeddah, Madinah and Yanbu. The Saudi government is seeking to get the private sector to construct the railway on a build, operate, transfer (BoT) basis. Several studies on the project's technical, financial and legal issues have been carried out by organisations on behalf of the government. These reports will be made available to the shortlisted firms. The closing date is December 21.

F023-041102
posted 18^th November 02

Passengers line up for new bus service

F022-041102
posted 18^th November 02

Jordan to start Gulf bus services   AMMAN: New bus operators in Jordan will start providing services early next year for passengers travelling by land to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait and Turkey, a report said. Director General of the Public Transport Regulatory Commission (PTRC) Mohammad Hamed said local operators have a deadline of November 30 to submit their proposals. He said qualifying bidders would obtain licences to operate new buses linking Amman with Riyadh, Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad, Kuwait and Ankara. While there are several local and foreign companies providing land transport services for passengers between Jordan and Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, there is only one bus service provider on Saudi Arabia route and none to carry passengers to Kuwait or Turkey. F021-041102 posted 4th November 02 Riyadh's traffic to triple by 2020 RIYADH: Riyadh motorists spend an estimated 1.5 million hours daily on the capital's roads with almost half of it being spent at traffic signals, a senior transportation official has said. The city's traffic volumes are also expected to triple by 2020 if existing socio-economic trends continue," Dr Jalal A Nafakh, director of the transportation unit at the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has said. He was speaking at the Gulf Traffic Convention at Dubai's Crowne Plaza Hotel. "Currently, Riyadh drivers clock up a total of 75 million kilometres daily, averaging a speed of 51 kilometres per hour," he noted. The findings are based on the Travel Forecast Model (TFM), developed by ADA. F020-041102 posted 4th November 02   Saudi Railway to hire consultants for network   expansion   RIYADH: The state-owned Saudi Arabian Railways Organisation (SARO) is seeking consultation on the restructuring and financing of a $2 billion railway expansion scheme, which will be carried out by the private sector on the build, operate and transfer (BoT) basis. The extended railway system will link the kingdom’s major cities—Riyadh, Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah and Yanbu. Another connection will be laid between Dammam and Jubail. The national rail system will be expanded by a total of 3,000-kilometre lines. Local commercial banks were invited to submit tender proposals for the contract by November 10, 2002, in conjunction with engineering consultancy firms. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) that operates a railway system. F019-211002 posted 21st October 02 Tehran’s subway rail network goes on stream TEHRAN: Some 55 kilometres of rail network comprising 27 stations of Tehran's underground system are already operational and work is underway on the remaining 35 kilometres and 25 stations scheduled for completion in March 2005. According to Chairman and Managing Director of the Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Company (TUSRC), Mohsen Hashemi Bahramani, the total cost of the network is valued at $1.56 billion. ‘Over and above the three lines, our blueprint currently projects a total of eight inner-city underground lines and five extensions to the towns of Hashtgerd, Parand, Pardis, Shahryar and Varamin,’ said Bahramani. ‘For the further development and expansion of the Tehran Metro lines, TURSC has proposed a TSE plan, which recommends investments by municipal authorities in tunnels, the private sector in stations and the government in equipment.’ F018-211002 posted 21st October 02 Bids awaited for Saudi rail project DAMMAM: Saudi Arabia is to invite international companies to bid for technical and financial consultancy services on its SR10 billion railways expansion project, local media reports said. Bid invitations from the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO) will be published in international newspapers. Plans to invite bids were finalised at a meeting held at the SRO headquarters in Dammam and attended by members of the committee charged with supervising the project. The committee is composed of representatives from Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, King Abdul Aziz Seaport, Ministry of Finance and National Economy, and the Public Investment Fund. F017-071002 posted 7th October 02

Jordan plans Aqaba Railway privatisation AMMAN: The Jordanian government will review a proposal early next year to restructure the state-owned Aqaba Railway Corporation (ARC) into a public company that will operate on a commercial basis. The move will prepare the Corporation for privatisation in 2005. ARC provides rail service from phosphate mines owned by the Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) at Al Abiyad, Al Hassa and Eshidiya. ARC currently transports about 2.8 million tonnes. However, it is expected that this tonnage could double with construction of extensions of the railway. The privatisation of ARC was initiated in 1999 when the Jordanian government agreed to transfer the management of the railway over to an international consortium for a 25-year period.   F016-071002 posted 7th October 02

a France, Japan make strong Cairo Metro push CAIRO: France and Japanese companies figure prominently among the firms preparing to prequalify for the estimated $735 million contract to build the first section of the third line of the Cairo Metro. At least 30 local and international companies have expressed interest in submitting prequalification bids by October 6 deadline. The client is the National Authority for Tunnels. The project entails building a 4.5 kilometre section between Ataba and Abbassiya. F014-230902 posted 23rd Sept 02

Saudi highway toll fixed Riyadh: Saudi Communications Minister Dr Nasir Al Salloum has said that the road toll proposed by his ministry would be five halalas per kilometre for highways. The toll would be restricted to new highways, which will have alternative roads, the minister was quoted as saying. The operation of the new roads will be brought under the private sector following the BOT system. That part of the revenue collected through toll will be used for road maintenance.   F015-230902 posted 23rd Sept 02

a Jordan earmarks $35m for road upgrades, Amman: Jordan has allocated 25 million dinars to improve the conditions of its road network. Sources at the Ministry of public works said an attempt was being made to improve conditions on 7,500 kilometres of roads and make them safer for the drivers. It said 686 people were killed in road accidents last year with 19,000 injuries. F011-090902 posted 9th Sept 02

Bids called for Doha Expressway Doha: International contractors have been invited to prequalify for the construction of the Doha Expressway, one of the top projects in the development of the Qatar highway network. The expressway, which will be about 50 kilometres in length, will enable smooth traffic movement from Wakrah-Mesaieed in the south, to the northern regions outside the capital.   F012-090902 posted 9th Sept 02

New limo service in Doha Doha: A new firm in Doha is launching will offer limousines for hire round-the-clock. Fox Transport Company will use a fleet of Chrysler cars provided by United Cars Almana (UCA.A contract to this effect was signed by the two companies recently. Under the deal, the newly-constituted wing of the Fox Transport Company will operate the rent-a-car service with 17 new models of Chrysler limousines. In addition to rental cars without drivers, buses of different seating capacities can also be hired. Fox Transport also offers a special discount for monthly contracts, for companies as well as individuals. The company provides full insurance for the car, driver and clients. The minimum charge is QR15 for a distance of up to 5 km. F013-090902 posted 9th Sept 02

a Hitachi vies for railway contract Riyadh: Japan's Hitachi company has expressed its desire to participate in the Kingdom's railway expansion project. Sources at the Communications Ministry were quoted as saying that the company had contacted the Saudi government through its representatives in the Kingdom. The government has approved the executive plan for the project, which is estimated to cost SR10 billion ($2.6 billion). The project will be completed in three phases. In the first phase, Riyadh will be linked with Jeddah. There will be another railway line linking the northern and central regions to transport minerals. The third phase will link Dammam with Jubail.   F009-190802 posted 19th Aug 02

Gulf Traffic 2002 aims for sell-out Sharjah: Leibherr delivered the first two of four rubber-tyred gantries (RTGs) from Killarney in Ireland to Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) in June. The second pair is expected for delivery soon. Shipped in CKD form, all the individual items were lifted ashore by the ships gear and moved by SCT's own handling machines to the open area where they will be assembled by Leibherr's engineers. Identical to the four units already operating in Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT), the new RTGs will maximise the container stacking capacity at SCT and improve the turn round time for trucks delivering or collecting containers. The machines would give SCT the same flexible terminal operation that it has in Khorfakkan.   F010-190802 posted 19th Aug 02

a Rail project to be unveiled at traffic meet Dubai: Details about Dubai's proposed elevated railway project will be unveiled at the upcoming Gulf Traffic Convention between October 26 and 29 in Dubai, alongside Gulf Traffic 2002, the exhibition for the transportation sector. The event will focus on the future of mass transit in the region. It will include a joint presentation on the ambitious project from Dr Abdelgader Elshabani, Transportation Planning Specialist, Dubai Municipality, UAE, and Kenneth Sislak, Vice-President, Director of Public Transport at international consultancy Wilbur Smith Associates (WSA), a leading international consulting firm, which is among the event's sponsors. Dubai has recently announced its intention to create a railway system to combat road traffic, which is estimated to triple by 2017. F007-050802 posted 5th Aug 02

Dubai plans three new road projects Dubai: Dubai Municipality will launch three new road projects in different parts of the emirate next month. Engineer Badr Al Gergawi, head of the Roads Planning Section at the Roads Department, has announced that the total cost of the projects would be Dh42.3 million ($11.5 million). The new roads will be in Al Bedaa, Al Quoz and Al Jafeliya. F008-050802 posted 5th Aug 02

a Morocco plans highway project The national road building authority SNAM has issued international tenders for construction of the 28-kilometre Tetouan-Frideq highway. The project forms part of a major road-building programme, which is intended to help develop the northern part of Morocco and improve transport links between the countries of the southern Mediterranean and Europe. The estimated project costs are $60million and the Portuguese government has said it is prepared to provide financing.   F005-220702 posted 22nd July 02

RAK looks for transport operator Ras Al Khaimah is seeking a taker for a contract to run the bus transportation services in the emirate. The company that is awarded the deal should provide a sufficient number of buses to cover even remote areas of Ras Al Khaimah. So far received no applications have been received. A municipal transportation committee has been set up to provide facilities such as bus stations and parking lots. The minimum number of passengers on each bus should be 14 and the maximum 28. The tariff of the service will be fixed in conjunction with the company. F006-220702 posted 22nd July 02

a French firm sizes up Saudi railway project French rail and urban development giant Systra is interested in playing a lead role in the multi-billion-dollar development of the Saudi railway network. Systra had appointed local agents Nafisa Contracting Establishment to represent it with the Saudi authorities. A team from Systra was expected in the kingdom soon to negotiate an investment license from the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), which controls foreign investments. Systra was prepared to finance 50 per cent of the projects, expected to cost some $2.7 billion. F002-080702 posted 8th July 02

Bidders line up for Cairo metro work The National Authority for Tunnels in Egypt is to invite local and international companies to apply by October 1, 2202, to prequalify for the first phase of the Cairo metro line 3 projects. Contractors say the costs of the firth two phases linking central Ababa Square to Heliopolis in the northeast will be some $1 million. The first phase will cover five kilometres from Ataba to Abbasiya and will involve the construction of five new stations. F003-080702 posted 8th July 02

Morocco highway to open opportunitiesorocco highway to open opportunities Burhan Kuwait Trading & Contracting Company turned out to be the lowest bidder for the second section of the Casablanca-El-Jadida Highway, part of the Mediterranean road construction project to upgrade the 550-kilometre coastal road in Morocco. The highway will stretch 35.4 kilometres from Had Soulam to Trine Chtouka and will include a number of bridges, underpass and culverts. F004-080702 posted 8th July 02

a New Law in UAE to regulate land transport movement The UAE will soon adopt a new transportation law regulating the movement of land transport within the UAE and between the Emirates and other Gulf countries according to a senior official from the Ministry of Communications.   Speaking on the sidelines of the “Arab Land Transport Union” conference and exhibition held recently in Dubai, Abdulah Lootah, Deputy Minister of Communications said that the draft of the new law prepared by the Ministry has already been submitted to the Federal Government for approval. According to Carlos El Hashem Board Member of the Arab Land Transport Union trucks moving within the UAE and between other Gulf countries are sometimes overloaded. “It creates a lot of problems for roads and every year billions of dirhams are spent for the revamp of the damage caused by overloaded trucks,” he said Some 60 per cent of the total load moving out of the UAE is land cargo with 6,000 tonnes of freight going out from the country every day.   F001-240602 posted 24th June 02

Yemeni Government build road to GCC countries  The Yemeni government has signed a contract on June 5 with an international consortium worth $ 50 million to build a road linking Yemen to Gulf Cooperation Council states via Oman. The contract signed by the public works ministry and a consortium of four firms provides for the construction of a 174-km road linking Nashtun in the eastern province of Mahara to Sayhut on the border with Oman. The project will be carried out in three years. F002-240602 posted 24th June 02

LIBYA Libya launches first rail network project Libya has launched the construction of its first train links, a Libyan official announced. The project consists of linking the western border with Tunisia to the eastern border with Egypt, with another railway due to link Libya's north and south, the unnamed official told the press Saturday, December 8. He said the first track would run through the country's main coastal resorts while the second would be built between the Mediterranean city of Sirte and serve the borders with Niger and Chad. The official however gave no indication on the cost or timeframe of the project, adding that once it is completed, a network linking Europe to Africa would be possible if a tunnel was dug under the Gibraltar strait. Unlike its neighbors Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan, Libya has no rail network and only 25,000 kilometers (15,000 miles) of roads. Posted Feb 11th '02 SYRIA FIRST PHASE OF UNDERGROUND RAILWAY PROJECT STARTED According to Al-Baath newspaper , the Syrian Minister of Transportation, Mr. Makram Obeid, laid down the foundations for the phase of the Hijazi Underground Railway Project. Head Executive of the Hijazi Railways Public Corporation, Mr. Salah Ahmed, said that the first phase will build a 1.3 kilometer underground railway costing SP 69 million. The phase is expected to last 240 days. Posted Feb 12th '02

  - Philbert Suresh
  - Aman Sangar
  - Raman Suri
  - Ranjeev Menon

a