Infrastructure Chinese telco enters Gulf with Zain Omantel tie-up One of China’s biggest wireless mobile network operators will make its GCC debut through a connectivity agreement with Zain Omantel International. State-owned China Telecom Global (CTG) signed the deal with Zain Omantel International (ZOI), a joint venture formed in May by Kuwait’s Zain Group and Oman’s Omantel. The deal with CTG is a “strategic subsea […] July 12, 2023
Exclusive Infrastructure UK must court Gulf investors despite Thames Water crisis The UK’s investment minister has said that the country must continue to incentivise foreign investment in its utilities sector, despite ongoing concerns that Thames Water, which is part owned by Abu Dhabi, could be on the verge of collapse. In an interview with AGBI this week, Lord Dominic Johnson, a minister of state in the […] July 6, 2023
Transport GCC on track to be linked by rail in next 10 years GCC governments are preparing to hand out $167 billion worth of contracts to link the six member countries by railway. “We should expect to see some significant contracts awarded on the railway to link all the GCC states over the next 24 to 26 months,” said Ed James, head of content and analysis at Meed, […] June 13, 2023
Analysis Infrastructure Ooredoo to cut losses in Myanmar to tune of $2.3bn Should Ooredoo succeed in selling its Myanmar subsidiary, the Qatari telecom operator will exit nursing multi-billion-dollar losses in what has proved to be a disastrous strategic failure for the former monopoly. Ooredoo Myanmar’s customer base has shrunk by nearly half in just over two years, while its cumulative pre-tax losses from 2013-2022 total QAR8.6 billion […] June 8, 2023
Oman unveils $5.2bn startup fund and plans for new city Oman is planning to set up an investment fund with a capital of OMR2 billion ($5.2 billion) to support economic diversification. The news was first reported by state-owned Oman News Agency, citing a decree by Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al Said. The Oman Future Fund will allocate a percentage of its capital to stimulate the […] June 1, 2023
Infrastructure Dubai’s Dewa gets 2 bids for $410m Hassyan water project Utility provider Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) received two bids for its 120 million gallons per day Hassyan independent water producer project. Bids were submitted from Saudi’s Acwa Power and UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa). Acwa Power sent the lowest water levelised tariff of $0.389 per cubic metre for the base proposal […] May 26, 2023
Transport Egyptian electric train project gets IsDB green light The Islamic Development Bank has approved $344.5 million in financing towards the first phase of the planned Egyptian electric train system. The 660 km railway will connect Egypt’s port cities of Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean with Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea. The Egyptian electric train project is expected to benefit 25 […] April 3, 2023
PIF-backed Oman infrastructure fund raises $1 billion Omani infrastructure investor Rakiza, which is backed by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, has closed its first fund, raising more than $1 billion from participants. Rakiza has already spent a quarter of this money in buying three Omani assets – a 30 percent stake in a telecom tower portfolio, 31 percent of a Port Sohar container terminal […] March 21, 2023
Transport GCC metro push could bring a $700bn economic boost Investing an extra $220 billion into GCC metro systems could lead to $700 billion worth of benefits over 20 years, according to experts, as the region seeks transport solutions to meet demand from rising populations. Growing populations, ambitious economic growth goals, new expectations for commute times and plans to improve quality of life are all […] March 14, 2023
UK and UAE firms to develop Africa’s water infrastructure Metito Utilities Limited, a UAE-based investor and operator of water, wastewater, and alternative energy management solutions, and British International Investment, the UK’s development finance institution, have launched a joint venture to promote private investment in climate-smart water projects across Africa. Africa Water Infrastructure Development will promote private investment in Africa’s water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors. It […] March 14, 2023
Transport Abu Dhabi sets up new company to develop transport systems Abu Dhabi will set up a new company to develop and operate transport systems in its rural and urban areas. Abu Dhabi Transport Company will develop rail systems and all other related services and operations. It will provide integrated transport services, including the rental of vehicles and buses, the UAE’s state-run WAM news agency reported. […] March 12, 2023
Infrastructure Oman to spend $2.6bn to build road infrastructure The estimated cost of road projects in Oman stands at OR1 billion ($2.6 billion) for 2023, its minister of transport, communications and information technology Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali has said. The ministry will focus on completing and constructing strategic road projects, boosting road efficiency and rehabilitation. Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi, under-secretary for transport, […] March 6, 2023
Transport Free Metro rides would boost net zero goal, says World Bank Making the Riyadh Metro free for passengers when it launches this year would be a great way to encourage Gulf residents to be more sustainable, while also helping to achieve ambitious net zero targets, according to a senior World Bank official. Issam Abousleiman, director of GCC countries, the Middle East and North Africa at The […] February 28, 2023
Transport Turkey opens fastest metro line to Europe’s busiest airport Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has opened Istanbul’s new high-speed metro line connecting the city to the mega Istanbul Airport, known as “Europe’s busiest in 2022”, Daily Sabah newspaper reported. The 34-kilometre metro link marks the first railway connection with Turkey’s largest airport from the Kagıthane neighbourhood. Erdogan said that the Kagıthane-Istanbul Airport Metro Line will […] January 23, 2023
Transport Morocco looking for private partners to fund $38bn rail plans Morocco’s ambitious plans to connect the country through a high-speed national rail link requires “innovative financing solutions based on public-private partnerships”, says Mohamed Abdeljalil, minister of transport and logistics. The Morocco Rail Plan, led by the National Railways Office (ONCF), is estimated to cost 400 billion dinars ($38.1 billion), according to the Moroccan News Agency. […] January 5, 2023
Infrastructure French consortium given Abu Dhabi road lighting LED project A French consortium has been selected to deliver a public private partnership project in Abu Dhabi as the region continues to mature as a hub for PPPs. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (Adio), in collaboration with the Department of Municipalities and Transport, has selected EDF (Eléctricité de France) and Engie to deliver phase 2 of […] December 19, 2022
Transport Saudi Arabia issues tender to build low carbon tram Saudi Arabia has issued a tender to build a low carbon tram project to serve the kingdom’s tourism hotspot of AlUla. According to Saudi Tenders, a projects and tenders intelligence platform, the tender went live on Friday and is seeking a company to construct a 46km track as part of plans to develop its eco-tourism […] December 12, 2022
Israel to build new desalination plant to meet water shortage Israel’s IDE Technologies and Bank Hapoalim won a government tender to build a new water desalination plant in northern Israel, Hapoalim said. Hapoalim, one of Israel’s two largest banks, will provide 1.3 billion shekels ($381 million) for the project near the northern city of Nahariya off the Mediterranean coast which aims to help the country […] November 14, 2022
Transport Etihad Rail finishes laying tracks in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE national rail network, has completed the tracklaying works of the main line in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, according to WAM, the UAE state-owned news agency. The work is part of the last package of stage two of the project. The main line extends from Ghuweifat, […] October 13, 2022
Transport France’s Alstom signs Saudi deal for hydrogen-powered trains State-owned Saudi Railway Company (SAR) has signed a memorandum of understanding with France’s Alstom to develop hydrogen trains for the kingdom. Saudi Arabia in investing heavily to expand its public rail and metro networks and will build 8,000 kilometres of new track, officials said in January. SAR operates the Haramain High Speed Rail between Mecca […] September 22, 2022
Empower reports 41.3% rise in buildings using district cooling Dubai-based Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) reported a 41.3 percent growth in the number of buildings using its district cooling services over the last five years. The number of buildings reached 1,413 by the end of 2021, 13 percent higher year-on-year, the company said in a statement. In 2021, Empower’s district cooling market share […] August 30, 2022
Saudi utility firm to pre-qualify bidders for water pipeline project State-owned utility services provider Saudi Water Partnerships Company (SWPC) has issued a request for proposals (RFPs) to pre-qualified bidders for the development of the Rayis-Rabigh Independent Water Transmission Pipeline (IWTP) project that will have a 500,000 cubic metre per day transmission capacity. The 150-kilometre long pipeline project is expected to be completed in the fourth […] August 28, 2022
