Saudi Arabia and Qatar have both signed the contracts to build metros in Riyadh and Doha worth a combined $30bn. Both are part of the GCC rail network, designed to reduce congestion in cities and help diversify the countries’ economies. An assessment of the progress of the GCC rail network will be made at the […]
The Saudi authorities have appointed DB International to “review” the design and construction of the high speed double trail railway between Jeddah, Medina and Mecca. The track which is designed to take trains travelling at 320km/h will have five stations in the two Holy Cities, Jeddah, Jeddah International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City. DB […]
Mohammed Al-Suwaiket, President of the Saudi Railway Organisation was in Los Angeles attending the US Saudi Business Forum where he announced that the massive expansion of the Saudi railway network is on track and on time. The Saudi Railway Master Plan is scheduled to take 30 years between 2010 and 2040 and will include both […]
The Project Management Consultancy contract has been awarded by the Saudi Public Investment Fund for the Landbridge railway project between Jeddah and Riyadh. The contract has gone to the subsidiary of Balfour Beatty Parsons Brinckerhoff and Fluor Corp. Parsons Brinckerhoff were involved in the original planning of the Landbridge project in 1997 so have experience […]
$18 billion rail scheme closer than ever to getting on track Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 25 September 2013 - The recently awarded multi-billion dollar contracts for two of the Gulf’s biggest rail schemes signals a turn of fortune for the planned GCC rail network that hopes to address mounting urban mobility issues confronting the region. […]
The Mombasa to Nairobi railway has had a cash injection of $3.75bn in a loan from China and should be complete by 2018. The standard gauge railway will cut journey times and increase capacity for intermodal trade via Mombasa. The railway is initially built between Kenya’s major port and capital city but is planned to […]
Minister of Transport, His Eminence, Ahmed Mohammed Salem Al-Futaisi, announced that Oman is fast tracking its railway building programme in a call for investment from inside and outside the Sultanate. He made the call at a conference held at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Muscat earlier this week. The first construction contract for the planned 2244 […]
At a conference on building the Omani national railway network at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel in Muscat, it was announced that the first phase of the railway network would be built in 2014. This 171 km section between the port of Sohar and Al Ayn at the UAE border will be the first phase […]
Introduction The Middle East rail industry is growing rapidly, as the region focuses on building its rail infrastructure from the ground up. With almost $200billion being invested on new rail projects in the Middle East, there are a number of benefits to look forward to from this new rail boom. The engineering skills shortage continues […]
At a conference last week at Al Bustan Palace hotel in Muscat, delegates heard just how much has to be done to enact Oman’s railway revolution. Quarries need digging, foundries need opening, factories need to be built, as well as the basic need to lay the sleepers and rails which will require thousands of skilled […]
