Infrastructure Muscat maps out its future development plans Muscat is set to approve a plan that will create a central 55km spine where much of the future development of the Omani capital city will take place. The city is predicted to double in size by 2040. The Greater Muscat Structure Plan, awaiting approval at cabinet level, provides a map of where future growth […] November 6, 2024
Telecoms First Saudi Arabia-to-Egypt subsea cable announced Mobily and Telecom Egypt have signed an agreement to lay the first subsea cable between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the companies announced in a joint press statement on Monday. The new cable will connect the Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh with the Saudi city of Duba. Egypt already has landing points for 18 […] November 5, 2024
Transport Dubai undertakes study for trackless tram Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will undertake a study to deploy trackless tram systems at eight locations across the city as part of its Dubai Tram network expansion. The self-driving tram system will operate on virtual tracks, using camera-guided painted lines on dedicated lanes, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Powered by electricity, […] November 4, 2024
Analysis Transport UAE hyperloop stalls, but ‘magnetic levitation’ hopes remain The UAE’s dream of transporting people and goods at high speeds using hyperloop technology may have stalled, but elements of the idea remain very much alive. The hyperloop transport system, in which people and goods are intended to travel at more than 1,200km/h in magnetically levitated pods through giant low-pressure vacuum tubes, has been plagued […] November 3, 2024
Infrastructure Driverless monorail planned for Riyadh’s financial district An agreement to launch a driverless monorail project has been signed by King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in the Saudi capital Riyadh. The 3.6-kilometre system will have six trains travelling on an elevated circular track that will wind between the main towers of the district. The system will have six stations across the district, connecting […] November 1, 2024
Infrastructure Middle East, not the West, should lead rebuilding, say experts Rebuilding Palestine and Lebanon will take upwards of a decade once the conflict between Israel and Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah ends, according to the International Monetary Fund. But the two countries should be assisted by Middle East neighbours and not left in the hands of Western superpowers, say experts. The United Nations Development Programme’s initial […] November 1, 2024
Opinion Logistics A new dawn for logistics as the GCC and India draw closer For both parties to benefit, investment in transport infrastructure is needed October 30, 2024
Economy Surplus of $8bn predicted in latest Dubai budget cycle A record surplus of AED30 billion ($8.16 billion) is being predicted by Dubai in its latest three-year budget. The emirate’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has approved the 2025-27 budget cycle, which includes AED272 billion in expenditure, against estimated revenues of AED302 billion. For the 2025 fiscal year, expenditure has been set at […] October 30, 2024
Infrastructure Tender for first phase of Oman industrial city issued A tender for the first phase of the Al Mudhaibi Industrial City project in North Al Sharqiyah governorate has been issued by Oman’s Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn). The tender, aimed at specialised companies in Oman and Saudi Arabia, covers the development of around 2.5 square kilometres of basic services. This includes road networks, […] October 28, 2024
Infrastructure Adia-backed platform to invest in more Indonesia toll roads A road toll platform backed by a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (Adia) has invested in a new section of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road that is being built across the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia. Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund, Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), announced on Monday that its toll road platform […] October 28, 2024
Opinion Trade UAE believes trade with Africa is worth the risk Investments by Emirati companies are being encouraged and supported by the government October 22, 2024
Trade Saudi Arabia signs deals worth $15bn with Egypt Egypt and Saudi Arabia provisionally agreed investment deals worth a combined $15 billion following the meeting of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Cairo on Tuesday. Speaking to Al Arabiya TV on Wednesday, the head of the Saudi-Egyptian Business Council, Bandar Al-Ameri, said that the deals include projects in […] October 17, 2024
Transport Plans agreed for Dubai’s skyborne transport system Dubai’s latest transport initiative aims to move people around the city at speeds of up to 120 kilometres an hour, with the intention of automating a quarter of all trips by 2030 and removing thousands of cars from the roads in the process. Plans for Dubai’s Suspended Transport Systems Project were approved earlier this month […] October 15, 2024
Logistics $266bn logistics hub spend starts in Saudi Arabia The first phase of a planned $266 billion budget to turn Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub has already “drastically” reduced carbon emissions, a government minister has revealed. “The national transport and logistics strategy launched in mid-2021 is set to invest more than a trillion riyals [$266 billion] by 2030, of which 200 billion […] October 14, 2024
Infrastructure Giza mega station opening drives Egypt’s rail investments The first passenger train arrived on Sunday at the new Upper Egypt Railway Station in Bashteel, Giza, as the country invests in developing its ageing rail network. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi opened the station on Saturday along with 19 other transport infrastructure projects across the country. The new station is designed to serve […] October 14, 2024
Construction Egypt’s Forbes Tower has designs on Burj Khalifa records Egypt’s 50-storey Forbes Tower is a self-consciously Dubai-esque development. It will have the world’s tallest central atrium, the fastest elevator, and is due to be the first net-zero tower in the Middle East and North Africa. Magnom Properties, the Egyptian-Saudi-owned developer, plans to spend $1 billion building the 240m tall tower, and has embraced comparisons […] October 11, 2024
Analysis Giga-projects World Cup and Expo wins divert funding to Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects have slowed down because of financing constraints – and now the government’s unexpected success in bidding for global events is redirecting even more resources towards Riyadh. Even prestigious developments such as Neom, the $500 billion futuristic city in north-west Saudi Arabia, are taking second place. The priority is turning the capital into […] October 8, 2024
Infrastructure Storm infrastructure upgrade for Abu Dhabi goes out to tender Tenders to enhance storm infrastructure have been issued by Abu Dhabi in areas severely impacted by April’s rainfall, the heaviest in 75 years. The tenders include projects in Al Dhafra, such as upgrading rainwater drainage networks in Ghayathi, constructing a stormwater network in Delma City and designing a main stormwater line in Madinat Zayed. A […] October 7, 2024
Economy Abu Dhabi to announce new 2045 strategy for GDP growth Abu Dhabi will soon launch a new 2045 economic strategy aimed at accelerating GDP growth in the emirate, sources told AGBI. The strategy, expected to be released early next year, outlines a broad transformation that seeks to further diversify the emirate’s economy, significantly reduce its reliance on oil, and position Abu Dhabi as a major […] October 6, 2024
Infrastructure Railways ‘at centre’ of Algeria’s evolution, says UK ambassador Algeria is putting its railways at the centre of national infrastructure plans in part because roads are expensive and difficult to maintain, according to the country’s ambassador to the UK. A significant expansion of the country’s railway network is scheduled to start this year, with the construction of 2,773km of railway lines – the equivalent […] October 2, 2024
Tourism PIF companies push ahead with Mecca expansion plans Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is building a vast commercial district in Mecca with an estimated value of $10 billion, giving the Islamic holy city a radical makeover. After a series of ownership changes, two companies have emerged as the lead developers of commercial space around the Grand Mosque in Mecca – the 100 percent […] October 2, 2024
Infrastructure Riyadh signs off billions to improve road safety Riyadh municipality has signed five contracts worth SAR6 billion ($1.6 billion) to improve roads in the Saudi capital, where traffic accidents are above the global average. The contracts entail rehabilitating and asphalting 83 million square metres of road network over five years, in time for Riyadh’s hosting of the 2030 World Expo, which will bring […] September 25, 2024
