UK
firm seeking large rail track order from Iran
(Iran
Mania, 27/2/04)
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.
F083-080304
Posted
8th March 04
Bahrain,
Qatar finalise plan for causeway link
(Arab
News, 24/2/04)
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.
F082-080304
Posted
8th March 04
South
span of Iraq's Al Mat bridge reopens
(Yahoo
News, 10/2/04)
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.
F081-230204
Posted
23rd February 04
Rail
transport consensus with Iraq
(Iran
mania News, 20/2/04)
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.
F080-230204
Posted
23rd February 04
Rail
project: 10,000 jobs on the way
(Gulf
Daily News, 6/1/04)
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.
F079-190104
Posted
19th January 04
Impact
of Bahrain-Qatar causeway under spotlight
(Bahrain
Tribune, 13-1-04)
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.
F078-190104
Posted
19th January 04
EIB
loans $32 million to Amman Ring Road project
(Menareport.com,
23/12/03)
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.
F077-050103
Posted
05th January 04
RO7.69m
Arab fund loan for road project
(Times
of Oman, 28/12/2003)
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.
F076-220103
Posted
05th January 04
EIB
loans Tunisia €45 million to upgrade metro network
(Times
of Oman, 2/12/03)
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.
F075-221203
Posted
22nd December 03
Spain,
Morocco to build rail tunnel
(Times
of Oman, 2/12/03)
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.
F073-081203
Posted
8th December 03
RO6.41m
Kuwaiti Fund loan for Nizwa-Thumrait road project
(Times
of Oman, 2/12/03)
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.
DAMASCUS:The
railway linking the Syrian town of Aleppo to Mosul
in northern Iraq is scheduled to re-open this
month. The train will depart Aleppo on Thursday
nights and will make five stops during the 11-hour
journey to Mosul, reported SANA. The
745-kilometre railway was first restored in 2000
after a decade-long interruption following
Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The railway was
opened to facilitate the growth of bilateral
trade, as well as the use of Syrian and Lebanese
ports to import goods from Europe.
MANAMA:A
multi-million dinar link to Durrat Al Bahrain
(Ministry of Works and Housing) was the largest
project for which bids were opened this week at
the Tender Board Committee's weekly meeting. Seven
contractors bid for the project which was open
only to selected parties. The lowest bid came from
Cybarco which quoted BD17, 650, 000 and the
highest bid came from Wade Adams and Itlas
Transport at BD24, 393, 119. Forty tenders were
opened - seven for the Ministry of Works and
Housing, 14 for Central Store, six for the
Ministry of Health, four for the Ministry of
Electricity and Water, eight for Bapco and one for
Civil Aviation Affairs.
F070-101103
Posted
10th November 03
Seven
contractors bid for Durrat Al Bahrain
road link (Bahrain
Tribune, 06/11/2003)
MANAMA:A
multi-million dinar link to Durrat Al Bahrain
(Ministry of Works and Housing) was the largest
project for which bids were opened this week at
the Tender Board Committee's weekly meeting. Seven
contractors bid for the project which was open
only to selected parties. The lowest bid came from
Cybarco which quoted BD17, 650, 000 and the
highest bid came from Wade Adams and Itlas
Transport at BD24, 393, 119. Forty tenders were
opened - seven for the Ministry of Works and
Housing, 14 for Central Store, six for the
Ministry of Health, four for the Ministry of
Electricity and Water, eight for Bapco and one for
Civil Aviation Affairs.
F069-101103
Posted
10th November 03
Saudi
Aramco's strategies to come under scanner at Gulf
Traffic
(Khaleej
Times, 3/11/03)
DUBAI:
The
impact of Saudi Aramco's road functions and
strategies will come under the spotlight in
December at Gulf Traffic, the only event in the
Middle East for traffic and transport
professionals, which is to be addressed by Saudi
Arabia's Deputy Minister of Transport, Abdullah Al
Mogbel. Supervisor of Saudi Aramco's Roads
Engineering Unit Saleh A Al Abdulgader will
present an overview of the organisation's road
system, maintenance and management techniques,
road safety and improvements, technology adoption
and its interaction with relevant authorities.
Deputy Minister Al Mogbel and Al Abdulgader are
among four Saudi speakers due to address Gulf
Traffic, which will be held at the Dubai
International Convention Centre from December 8-11
this year.
F068-101103
Posted
10th November 03
Expansion
of Saudi's railroad system to include the western region (MENA
FN 13/10/03)
RIYADH:The
expansion of Saudi Arabia's railroad system to
include the western region of the Kingdom should
begin within the next two years, following Gulf
Co-operation Council approval of a GCC-wide
railroad plan, the Saudi
Gazette reported. The first phase of the GCC
railway loop is the construction of rail line
linking Manama, the capital of Bahrain, with the
Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and connecting as
far south as Doha, Qatar. The plan calls for a
rail bridge linking Qatar and Bahrain as part of
the first phase of construction
F067-201003
Posted
20th October 03
Tyron
appoints Oman distributors
(Trade
Arabia 11-10-03)
MUSCAT:
Saud Bahwan Group (SBG) and Mohsin
Haider Darwish (MHD), which represent popular
automotive brands in Oman, have been appointed
distributors of Tyron, a leading tyre safety
product that eliminates accidents during blow-outs
and punctures. An Oman
Daily Observer report said that the new
arrangement ensures that Tyron customers will now
have a strong and reputable nation-wide network of
service outlets to look after them, Nasir al
Wadhahi, Tyron Master Distributor for the Middle
East, said recently. "The interest in Tyron
distributorship is increasing and we have signed
distributors for the United Arab Emirates, Saudi
Arabia and Qatar even as negotiations are in place
for Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Iran,
India and Lebanon.”
F066-201003
Posted
20th October 03
Abdullah
opens highway projects (Arab
News, 25/9/03)
JEDDAH:Crown
Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of
the National Guard, this week inaugurated two
expressways that constitute a major portion of an
east-west highway project. Prince Abdullah
unveiled the plaque to commemorate the opening in
Madinah. Senior officials including Prince Nawaf,
director of intelligence, and the governors of
Makkah, Madinah and Qasim attended the opening
ceremony. Prince Abdullah is scheduled to open a
number of development projects in the region.
Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al Seraisry said the
two roads — the Qasim-Madinah Expressway and the
Madinah-Rabigh-Thole Expressway — were
constructed at a total cost of SR3.3 billion. More
than 95 contractors had taken part in the
construction of the two expressways with a
combined length of 648 kilometres.
F065-061003
Posted
6th October 03
Highest
safety rating for Sorento
(Times
of Oman, 21-9-03)
The
2003 Kia Sorento mid-size SUV has earned the
United States federal government’s highest
safety rating in new side impact crash tests. The
Sorento received five-stars for both the driver
and rear-seat passengers, according to information
released by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). The Sorento was one of
only three new models in a group of vehicles
tested recently by NHTSA to receive the five-star
rating in side impact crash protection. A five
star rating indicates a risk of serious injury of
five per cent or less. The side crash tests are
part of NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP).
NHTSA tested the 2003 3.5 litre V6 Sorento in a
simulated intersection-type collision with a 3,015
pound barrier moving at 38.5mph into a standing
vehicle.
F064-061003
Posted
6th October 03
Aleppo-Baghdad
rail link to reopen (Trade
Arabia, 15/9/03)
DAMASCUS:Trains are due to start running from the northern
Syrian town of Aleppo to
Baghdad by the end of this month, government
sources have said. The start
date was decided at a meeting last week of
officials from Iraq and Syria's state-run rail
networks, held in Mosul. Passenger trains are
expected to make the journey once a week, leaving
Aleppo on Thursday and returning from Baghdad on
Monday. The railway station in Aleppo, called
"Baghdad Station," was built by the
Germans in the 19th century. It was a major
communications route between Syria, Iraq and
Turkey under the Ottoman empire.
F063-220903
Posted
22nd September 03
Aleppo-Baghdad
rail link to reopen (Trade
Arabia, 15/9/03)
DAMASCUS:Trains are due to start running from the northern
Syrian town of Aleppo to
Baghdad by the end of this month, government
sources have said. The start
date was decided at a meeting last week of
officials from Iraq and Syria's state-run rail
networks, held in Mosul. Passenger trains are
expected to make the journey once a week, leaving
Aleppo on Thursday and returning from Baghdad on
Monday. The railway station in Aleppo, called
"Baghdad Station," was built by the
Germans in the 19th century. It was a major
communications route between Syria, Iraq and
Turkey under the Ottoman empire.
F062-220903
Posted
22nd September 03
Kuwait
to set up 'land port' near border
(Trade
Arabia, 3-9-03)
KUWAIT CITY:Kuwait plans to establish a "land port" near
its borders with Iraq and SaudiArabia
to handle increasing traffic and trade with its
northern Iraqi
neighbour. "The (transport) ministry is
seriously considering the establishment and
management of a 'land port' to provide necessary
services for all transport vehicles, whether
commercial or private," Hamed Khajah,
undersecretary of Kuwait's transport ministry,
told CNBC Arabiya television. Following the war, "hundreds of transport
vehicles are heading towards the northern
border," he told the satellite business
channel.
F061-220903
Posted
22nd September 03
Plan
to privatise
Urban Transport System (Arab
News, 25-8-03)
JEDDAH:Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al Seraisry has
formulated plans to privatise and reorganise the
transport system within the Kingdom’s cities.
“The development of urban transport will be
carried out by the private sector as the
government wants to increase private sector
participation,” he said. Seraisry also unveiled
plans to construct a four-lane road linking Taif
and Abha at a cost of SR3 billion. He has asked
the authorities to complete a study of the project
as quickly as possible. “The ministry is now
working on a new system in co-ordination with
related government agencies in order to develop
and promote transport within cities,” he said.
F060-180903
Posted
8th September 03
Deals
signed for road maintenance
(Arab
News, 18-8-03)
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.
F059-180903
Posted
8th September 03
New
causeway facility planned (Gulf
Daily News, 13/8/03)
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 beenannounced. 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.
F058-180803
Posted 18th August 03
Turkey
reopens Iraq rail link
(Trade
Arabia, 6/8/03)
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.
F056-040703
Posted
04th August 03
US
approves opening of Iraqi-Syrian railway despite
sanction threats (Mena
report31/7/03)
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.
F055-040703
Posted
04th August 03
Emirates
Roads Contracting paved the way for Genavco's success in the
UAE (By
Kiran Mehta for Middleastlogistics.com News)
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.
F054-210703
Posted
21st July 03
Bahrain
to host transport conference (Times
of Oman, 1-7-03)
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.
F053-210703
Posted
21st July 03
Saudi
Arabia studying road toll plan (Trade
Arabia, 16/7/03)
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 ofDougharoun-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
thewar-torn
Afghanistan.
F050-070703
Posted
07th July 03
Bahrain
looks at Gulf network plans (Gulf
Daily News 13/6/03)
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.
F049-230603
Posted
23rd June 03
Metro
Planned for Riyadh (Arab
News, 14/6/03)
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.
F048-230603
Posted
23rd June 03
ADB
to finance Algerian highway bypass (Mena
Report, 3-6-03)
ALGIERS:A $76.85 million loan agreement was signed recently
between the African Development Bank (ADB) and
Algeria to finance the Constantine highway bypass
project- phase II project in Algeria. The project
is part of the extension of the Constantine
Highway Bypass Project and 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-kilometre
section of the highway—Ain El Bey- CW133
Section—with a three-lane dual carriageway
3.5-metre-wide each and a 2.5-metre wide emergency
lane for the Ain El Bey - RN3 interchange (six
kilometres) section and a two-lane expandable to
three-lane dual carriageway for the RN interchange
-CW 133 interchange (seven kilometre) section.
F047-190603
Posted 09th June 03
Rail
project to cost $4.12bn (Trade
Arabia, 29-5-03)
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.
F046-190603
Posted 09th June 03
Consultant
soon for railway expansion (Trade
Arabia 23/4/03)
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.
F045-190503
Posted
19th May 03
New
Sharjah-Oman bus service planned (Trade
Arabia 19/4/2003)
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.
F044-190503
Posted
19th May 03
GCC
railway under study (Trade
Arabia 12/4/03 )
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.
F043-210403
Posted
21st April 03
Bus
operator set to begin services (Trade
Arabia 12/4/2003)
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.
F042-210403
Posted
21st April 03
Transport
firms allowed foreign hires (Trade
Arabia 31/3/03 )
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.
F040-070403
Posted 7th April 03
RO16m
road-building pacts signed
(Times
of Oman – 27/02/03)
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.
F039-240303
Posted 24th March 03
2-fold
rise in cars call for 2 highways a year
(Iran
Mania – 18/03/03)
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.
F038-240303
Posted 24th March 03
RO16m
road-building pacts signed
(Times
of Oman – 27/02/03)
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 ofSint Wadi Al A’ala road in the wilayat of Bahla, construction
of Al Jiza road in the wilayat of Al Mudhaibi and asphalting twosections 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.
F037-100303
Posted 10th March 03
Iran
offers $560 million credit to Afghanistan
(Iran
Mania – 04/03/03)
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.
F036-100303
Posted 10th March 03
New
bus operator offers better ride
(Trade
Arabia-
18/1/03)
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.
F035-240203
Posted 24th February 03
Haj
pilgrims in Saudi province prefer buses
(Arab
News, 6/02/03)
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.
F034-240203
Posted 24th February 03
Eight
vie for rail advisory
(Trade
Arabia 18/1/03)
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.
F033-100203
Posted 10th February 03
Oman
village road projects take off
(Times
of Oman, 27/1/2003)
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.
F032-100203
Posted 10th February 03
New
Adam-Sinaw road inaugurated
(Times
of Oman 05/01/03)
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.
F031-200103
Posted 20th January 03
Oman
introduces road tax
(Gulf
Daily News 05/01/3)
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 6th January 03
Saudi,
UAE transport operators buy buses from
Mercedes-Benz
(Mena
Report-20/12/2002)
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 6th January 03
Jordan
selects transport firms for Iraqi oil shipment
(Albawaba Report-30/12/02)
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 6th January 03
ADB
approves $77 million to finance Algeria by
pass project (AFDB.ORG-
4/12/02)
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.
F027-231202
posted 23rd December 02
SAPTCO
signs deal to expand its fleet (Arab
News-18/12/02)
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.
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.
MUSCAT:A
new bus service from Sharjah to Yemen and Oman is drawing
a strong response from travellers. Launched in August, the
service is operated on the 1st and 15th of each month. The
service is a joint venture of Sharjah-based Safeenat Al Sahra
Passenger Land Transport, Oman National Transport Company
and Yemen's Bin Hamoudish Transport. The first destination
on the route is Hadramooth in Yemen followed by Salalah and
Muscat in Oman. The 36-hour journey has a one-way fare of
Dh330, while a return costs Dh500.Safeenat Al Sahra has a fleet of eight buses.For Muscat Festival 2003, the company is halving fares
from Sharjah to Muscat and Salalah. The festival runs from
January 5 to February 15.
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.
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.
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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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