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ARCHIVE

New Bahrain port coming up
Bahrain-Iraq sea link planned
Iran test flies domestically built airliner
Sharjah plans airport expansion
Sharjah sets Container Traffic Record               
Khadafi wants COMESSA regional airline
UAE considers building airport in Jebel Ali
AgustaWestland to set up helicopter assembly plant in Qatar
Emirates pursues bold expansion amid global slowdown
Saudi TASECO to import 1,500 German buses
Prince Sultan signs contract worth SR368 million for Air Navigation System
Kuwait International Airport moves ahead with next phase of expansion
Dubai Cargo Village
Ajman to set up first international airport
DPA to build more berths in Jebel Ali
Air Traffic Control System  - Riyadh

BAHRAIN

New Bahrain port coming up

Bahrain launched the construction of a 160 million dinar ($424 million) port yesterday to meet an expected increase in the Gulf Arab state’s foreign trade. Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa laid the foundation stone for the port, which is scheduled to be complete in 2005, the official Bahrain News Agency reported. Officials said the kingdom’s northeastern industrial city of Hidd, will cost 160 million dinars to complete. It will have six berths, Bahrain, the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, now has one main port, Mina Salman, in Manama.

Posted-14^th March  '02

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UAE

SHARJAH PLANS AIRPORT EXPANSION

Envisages Dh200m outlay over five years; work set to start on arrival hall

Sharjah Civil Aviation Department has an airport upgrade plan in place envisaging a Dh200 million outlay over the next five years, according to Mohammed Saif Al Hajri, director general.

Work is set to start on a Dh40 million arrivals hall expansion to enhance its capacity and enable it handle peak season demand, he said, as cited in a recent issue of Al Tijarah, the official Sharjah chamber publication.

Another initiative is the Dh15 million project to house the civil aviation and airport management, and provide additional offices for airlines, freight firms and other companies engaged in dealing with the airport, he said.

The officials pointed out that the overall masterplan aims at enhancing the airport's capacity to handle the airport's capacity to handle anticipated growth in passengers and cargo throughout via its terminals.

He added that the expansions will maintain the emirate's and airport's distinctive Islamic architecture and design, while incorporating state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure.

He felt existing competition among UAE airports helps improve customers services, in line with the open door and open skies policies followed by the country, while asserting Sharjah airport offers its customers the best services at rates that are 30 per cent more competitive than extant elsewhere in the GCC.

The airport has reinforced its standing as the premier air freight hub in the Middle East, and was last year again ranked the region's top cargo airport, while improving its overall standing to 29th in the world.

Posted-12^th Feb  02

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BAHRAIN

Bahrain-Iraq sea link planned

Bahrain’s private sector is seeking to set up a maritime link with Iraq to facilitate trade between the two countries, a leading Bahraini businessman said yesterday. Iraq has accepted the idea in principle, but further discussions are scheduled on the fringes of an investment promotion conference stated to be held in Baghdad on March 12, added Sameeh E. Rajab, owner of Bahrain’s peninsula Trading and Marketing company. “The commercial sea link will considerably increase the volume of trade between our countries as desired by businessmen and officials in both Bahrain and Iraq,” Rajab said.

Posted-14th March '02

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IRAN

IRAN TEST FLIES FIRST DOMESTICALLY BUILT AIRLINER

Iran's first domestically produced passenger plane, built with technical assistance from Ukraine, the medium-haul Iran-140, successfully completed its first test flight Wednesday.

Visiting Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yushenko and Iran's First Vice President Hassan Habibi were among the guests to witness the test flight of the plane in Shahin-Shahr near the central city of Isfahan.

The test flight and landing of the twin-turboprop Iran-140—a license-built version of the Antonov An-140—was carried out by an Iranian pilot to mark the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.

Habibi examined the 52-passenger aircraft, which was built by a branch of the Iranian defense ministry in Shahin-Shahr and has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles).

Iran and Ukraine signed a contract in 1993 for the construction of 43 planes, each of which costs some nine million dollars. The aircraft first flew in Ukraine in 1997 and the first two Iranian models are to be built this year and a further 12 by 2004.

Seventy percent of the components were made in Iran and the remainder in Ukraine.

The first Iran-140 is set to join Iran's national fleet by the beginning of the new Iranian year in March and the defense ministry has ordered a further 127 planes.

UAE

SHARJAH SETS CONTAINER TRAFFIC RECORD

LIBYA

Khadafi wants COMESSA regional airline

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi wants to create an airline for Sahel-Saharan states, a Sudanese foreign ministry official said Saturday, February 10, during a round of preparatory talks ahead of a regional summit to be held in Khartoum Monday and Tuesday. "This proposal aims at linking the region's countries in a more efficient way," the head of African affairs at the Sudanese foreign ministry, Rashid Khidir, told reporters, after a meeting ahead of the third summit of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (COMESSA). Khidir said the new airline would be financed by some or all of COMESSA's member states: Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sudan. Over the past few years, African unity had been at the top of the maverick Libyan leader's agenda and his project of an African Union has already been signed by 31 member-states of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia are all expected to join COMESSA, boosting its membership to 15. — (AFP, Khartoum) Posted-30th Dec 01

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SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi TASECO to import 1,500 German buses

Single largest bus order from the Middle East

DaimlerChrysler AG has been awarded a contract to deliver 800 Mercedes-Benz buses to Saudi Arabia as part of the tender issued by the Saudi private transport giant. The deal is the single largest bus order from the Middle East in the company's history. TASECO already has over 175 Mercedes-Benz buses in its fleet.

German Volkswagen is to sell 700 buses to Saudi Arabia, in a 165.8 million Saudi riyal ($62 million) contract. The vehicles will be manufactured at Volkswagen's Resende plant in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro. The export sale is the largest to be made by the company outside of the Americas, according to Agencia Folha.

Posted-15^th Dec 01

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AgustaWestland to set up helicopter assembly plant in Qatar

"This will be the first plant of its kind in the Middle East and will serve the Gulf, Asia and Africa. It will place Qatar on the international aviation industry map," Al-Thani announced in a news conference in the Qatari capital Doha.

The agreement includes the construction of a plant that will also provide maintenance services to civilian and military helicopters. In a later phase of the project, the Qatari plant will assemble helicopters.

Gulf Helicopters, an affiliate of state-owned Qatar Petroleum, will be Agusta's partner in the joint venture, whose cost has not been disclosed, reported AFP. Finmeccanica of Italy and GKN of the UK jointly own AgustaWestland.

    Posted-15^th Dec 01

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Emirates pursues bold expansion amid global slowdown

Between April and September 2001, the carrier reported a 168.2 million Emirati dirham ($46 million) in unaudited profits, as compared with the Dh164.2 million ($45 million) profit for the half-year ending September 30, 2000.

Dubai’s Crown Prince and the Emirates’ Minister of Defense Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum defended the carrier’s decision to press forward with ambitious multi-billion-dollar expansion plans at the Dubai Aviation 2001 exhibition held earlier this month. The deals’ timing enables the government-owned airline to enjoy preferable rates from Airbus and Boeing, disclosed Al-Maktoum, according to Al-Hayat.

The latest November orders include 25 US Boeing 777 passenger jets for $6.6 billion, to be delivered between 2004 and 2010. Orders for 33 aircraft have been placed with the European Consortium Airbus Industries, 22 of which are double-decker Airbus A380s to be delivered from 2006 at a cost of seven billion dollars, plus secured options for 10 more A380s, according to AFP. The airline commissioned three twin-engine A330 Airbuses worth $450 million and signed a letter of intent for eight of the four-engine A340-600 Airbuses worth one billion dollars.

Founded in 1985, the Emirates airline currently has a fleet of 36 aircraft, flying to 56 destinations in 39 countries. The carrier seeks to triple its fleet to 100 aircraft by the end of the decade, to meet ambitious plans to establish Dubai as a regional tourist and air transport hub.

In 2000, Emirates recorded a 20 percent jump in passengers to 5.7 million, with a 24 percent increase in cargo to 335,194 tons, accounting for $85 million in record profits.

Posted-15^th Dec 01

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UAE considers building airport in Jebel Ali

The crown prince of Dubai and the Emirates minister of defense, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, stated that the UAE government is currently evaluating a proposal to build a new airport in the emirate of Dubai near the Jebel Ali free zone. According to Al-Hayat newspaper, the new airport will basically be used for air shipment to meet the needs of Jebel Ali Zone. Several giant Internet and industrial projects are currently being constructed in this free trade zone.

Sheikh Al-Maktoum stated that earlier this year the government of Dubai has completed the first phase of the Dubai International Airport expansion project. The crown prince asserted that this airport expansion project will continue in the future. The first phase of this expansion project, priced at $600 million, has increased the airport occupancy to 22 million passengers per annum. The authorities will also expand the capacity of the neighboring cargo freight village.

Posted-15^th Dec 01

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   KUWAIT

Kuwait International Airport moves ahead with next phase of expansion

In line with its ongoing expansions, Kuwait’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is evaluating bids for the long-range radar system and associated civil works package on the Kuwait International Airport. Up to eight companies were pre-qualified to price the estimated $28 million contract, which calls for the supply and installation of a long range radar system and associated construction work.

The other major components of the estimated $300 million expansion project called Kuwait Airspace System Plan includes supply and installation of; a new MSSR approach radar system, airport data integration networks, and a low –level wind shear alert system.

DGCA is also planning the renovation of the existing terminal and a 600-metre expansion of the west runway.

Posted-6^th Dec 01

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   U.A.E

Ajman to set up first international airport

Project work for Ajman’s first international airport, with shortly start at the Al Helou site near the Ajman Cement plant. The terminal is expected to be operational in the second-half of 2002 and the facility would cater to international passengers, airfreight as well as the business jets market. Further, the complex would also include a private jet terminal with maintenance facilities and would serve as a complete air service station.

Seeking to expand by going the privatization way, the UK's Wiggins Group has been assigned the Dh367 million ($100 million) build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract to construct the terminal and allied infrastructures. Wiggins already operates eight airports in the U.S. and Europe, and plans to expand its network to 20; the Ajman facility being its first in this region.

The airport project is just one of the many projects aimed at facilitating the emirate's ongoing expansion and infrastructural development.

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    SAUDI ARABIA

Prince Sultan signs contract worth SR368 million for Air Navigation system

Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, has signed a contract worth SR 368 million with a national company.

Under the three-year contract, the national company will undertake the operation and maintenance of the air navigation system.

Posted-9^th Dec 01

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Air Traffic Control System  

Installation of a new centre for air traffic and approach control at King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, with services beginning at the end of the first quarter 2002.
Details on payment of SR 50,000 from Presidency of Civil Aviation Ministry, Airport Road, 11165 Riyadh, telephone 4785900/ 4779478, telex 401188 moda sj/400191 moda sj.
Closing Date - 27^th November

Posted-12^th Nov 01

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Dubai Cargo Village

As part of Dubai Department of Civil Aviation's expansion plans a 'Mega Cargo Terminal' is proposed at Dubai Cargo Village. Currently Dubai Cargo Village accommodates 12 aircrafts at a time. The expansion programme will provide parking area for 2 more freighters. The present land area can handle up to 3.5 million tons of freight per annum.  

With a 19% growth in 2000, Dubai International Airport has been one of the fastest growing cargo airports' and is ranked 28th in the world for cargo movement.

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   U.A.E

DPA to build more berths in Jebel Ali

To cope with increasing cargo traffic, Dubai Ports Authority (DPA) plans to construct more berths in Jebel Ali Port. “Business is growing in Jebel Ali and the existing 67 berths are inadequate to handle the cargo coming onto the port” said Sultan Bin Sulayem, CEO of the Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zones Corporation.

DPA is making substantial investments in procuring an extensive range of port and cargo handling equipment for its ports in Jebel Ali and Port Rashid. The equipment being imported from Holland includes 3 post-Panamax gantry cranes, 6 rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs), 8 reach stackers, 12 tractors, 36 marine high-level wheel trailers and 6 roll trailers.

“DPA does not propose to introduce any noticeable hike in current charges levied at the ports” assured Sulayem and allayed fears of any major recessionary impact in Dubai in contrast with global downward trends. Sulayem made these comments at a recent meeting convened and hosted by the corporation to address Dubai’s shipping community and agents.

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