Holland Gulf Chamber of Commerce » spoorprojecten

Qatar plans to spend USD100bn on roads and railways as part of its mammoth infrastructure uplift

jochemgeheniau — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:21:02 +0000

Qatar plans to spend $100bn on roads and railways as part of its mammoth infrastructure uplift, according to Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz ).

There is no railway network in Qatar currently. High congestion and traffic accidents have now prompted Qatar to build railways, Markaz said in a report. For this purpose, Qatar Railway Development Company was formed with almost $41bn worth rail projects in execution or planning phase. Qatar Integrated Rail Project, comprising Doha Metro as well as passenger and freight rails, is slated to cost $37bn, it said, adding other big projects include West Bay people mover and Lusail light rail transit.

Moreover, no less than half a million people are expected to visit Qatar during the FIFA World Cup in 2022, which, according to Markaz , hastened the need to speed up railways projects. Across the GCC, it said in 2012, about $160bn worth railway projects were either in construction or planning phase. On Qatar’s road infrastructure, it said though the quality of roads is “significantly” better than other emerging markets, there is “concern over the current capacity”.

In 2010, Ashghal, Qatar’s public works authority, said it plans to spend $20bn until 2015. The roads development plans got a fresh catalyst from the country’s successful bid to host the World Cup. As many as 30 highway projects valued at around $27bn are to be awarded, it said, adding among the big projects, which are in construction or planning phase, are Doha Expressway, Dukhan Highway-Eastern section, Lusail Expressway and Orbital Highway.

Highlighting that $4.9bn worth road projects were awarded in the GCC in 2012, it said the region has historically focused its investments in building roadways. Almost 100% of the roads in the GCC are paved roads in the GCC against below 75% in other emerging countries.

Feasibility studies for GCC railway project under way

jochemgeheniau — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 09:05:45 +0000

Two international firms will conduct feasibility studies for the proposed multibillion-riyal railway project that would link the six-member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), it was revealed at a recent meeting here of the GCC transport ministers.
Bahraini Minister of Transport Kamal bin Ahmad said the two companies would conduct technical, consultative and engineering studies. He did not specify a timetable for the start of the project.
Bin Ahmad said that Saudi Arabia and Bahrain’s ministries of finance and transport agreed to appoint the General Organization of the King Fahd Causeway as the body to choose the company that would oversee the project.
The Bahraini minister said the technical specifications for the project have been drawn up. In addition, the six Gulf states have been asked to double check the coordinates for the railway lines, junctions and stations, to ensure paying the minimum cost possible and adherence to environmental safety standards.
He said it was unlikely the project would cost $11 billion as estimated by the World Bank. “The costs are much less than what the initial studies indicated.”
Saudi Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said the six nations were focusing much attention on the project. “There is a big movement and lobbying to implement the decision of the higher council of GCC states to complete the project by 2018,” he said.
Meanwhile, Abdullah bin Jumah Al-Shalabi, assistant secretary general for economic affairs, said in a press release that the meeting also discussed marine transport issues including the safety of small and cargo ships not covered by international naval treaties, and piracy problems off the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden.
Meanwhile, construction is progressing on the Bridge of Love (Jisser Al-Mahabah) announced in 1999 between Bahrain and Qatar, the Bahraini minister said.

‘Public spend drive to lead Qatar construction boom’

jochemgeheniau — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 07:59:17 +0000

Despite concerns about long lead-times for many of the planned projects across the country and the potential for rising construction costs, Business Monitor International (BMI) has maintained an “overall bullish” outlook for Qatar’s construction sector.
“A strong commitment to public spending coupled with the most attractive and stable business environment in the region will help Qatar in achieving its ambitious infrastructure development targets to facilitate the 2022 FIFA World Cup and its own 2030 Vision,” BMI said in a recent report.
BMI’s country risk team believes that “Qatar’s economic growth will remain underpinned by the non-hydrocarbons sector over the coming quarters, with robust household consumption and construction activity making up for an ongoing stabilisation in hydrocarbons production.”
The country’s fiscal policy is set to remain strongly supportive of the economy: the government has signalled its intention to ratchet up both current spending and investment expenditure over 2013-14 fiscal.
BMI expects Qatar’s overall real GDP to grow by 5% in 2013 and 4.8% in 2014. In light of this outlook and as progress on many of the major projects is finally being made, it has revised upwards its forecast for the years leading up to the 2022 World Cup.
Average real growth for Qatar over BMI’s 2013-22 forecast period now stands at 8% a year.
Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, and in line with the country’s 2030 development plan, Qatar’s spending on infrastructure is expected to reach around $150bn over the next decade, the report said.
A series of infrastructure projects are in the pipeline, including a $1bn transport corridor project in Doha; a $20bn investment in roads; $40bn plan for railways; $15.5bn new airport project; $4bn for stadiums; $8bn to be spent on a deep-water seaport; tens of thousands of hotel rooms to be built; and even a new city.
For 2013, the Qatari government has initiated a major infrastructure upgrade of the road network in the country, which as BMI said, has begun to result in a sharp increase in contracts being awarded.
For example, it said construction supervision contracts for the $4.1bn Doha Expressway were awarded in April and for the $5bn Doha Bay Crossing in May. The country is believed to have one of the busiest road markets in GCC to date, with contacts awarded so far being valued in excess of $1.8bn.
This year, the government will be inviting bids from firms for the construction of a solar power plant in the country. The plant whose construction may commence in 2014, may cost $10bn-$20bn, and will have a generation capacity of 1,800 MW. It is likely to be completed by 2018. Meanwhile, plans are also underway for the launch of a tender for a 220 MW solar energy project this year.
Supporting BMI’s long-held view about increase in tourism-related investment, the Qatar Tourism Authority, in March 2013 indicated plans to invest $20bn on the country’s tourism infrastructure. Qatar is looking to build as many as 22 new hotels (before 2017), with a total capacity of 45,000 rooms. It is expected that as many as 60,000 rooms will be required during the world cup.

Freight rail network may bypass Muscat: MoTC

jochemgeheniau — Thu, 22 Aug 2013 08:11:52 +0000

Muscat – The proposed freight rail network linking Salalah port and Buraimi might bypass Muscat governorate as per a new plan proposed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC).

The new project consultant will look into this proposal,” said H E Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Salim al Futaisi, Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) while addressing a gathering at an Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry event recently.

“As per the new proposal, the Salalah port will be linked to Buraimi via Duqm port, Ibri in Dhahirah governorate and Sinaw in the wilayat of Mudhaibi and the rail line will bypass Muscat and Batinah governorates,” he said. “This is expected to reduce project cost as the path does not traverse through mountainous areas.”

The other proposal is to go ahead with the original plan of connecting Buraimi and Salalah port via Sohar port, Muscat and Duqm port. “Now, the consultant’s job is to find out the commercial viability of each plan,” H E Dr Futaisi said.

He said that studies have found that trucks and trailers are the best means of transporting goods within a distance of 200km, while freight rail network is economically viable for transporting over longer distances.

“If we go ahead with the original plan, we might start a passenger train service between Muscat and Sohar due to the area’s high population density and the distance of more than 200km separating the two cities,” he said. “The project will complement road transportation network by linking Sohar, Duqm and Salalah ports as well as important mining areas.”

He said that studies have found that including Salalah port in the freight rail network will boost revenues due to the port’s strategic location. The project will be a catalyst for the country’s all-round economic development. “It will create alternative means to transport goods to several parts of the country. We have started studying the business value of the project.”

He said that the focus is on freight rather than passenger traffic due to the country’s low population density. “For the project to be commercially viable, we need a certain number of passengers using the network daily.

“Citizens across the GCC use personal vehicles for daily use, which might make a passenger rail network commercially unviable. The rail project will boost revenue by transporting cargo and goods.”

Metro projects look daunting

jochemgeheniau — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 07:55:36 +0000

While the contractors working on the Riyadh and Doha metros may be facing unknown risks, the benefits make them worthwhile

Construction is very different from manufacturing. Instead of striving for perfection through repetition, it involves a team of people who have never worked together before making something that has never been built before. Construction is inherently risky and the bigger the project is, the bigger the risks are.

The Riyadh Metro and Doha Metro are two of the region’s biggest schemes. In Riyadh, contractors will build 176 kilometres of metro lines within five years – an undertaking that even seasoned metro builders say has never been taken on before. The Doha Metro also involves the construction of multiple tracks. Both schemes face a multitude of challenges ranging from land acquisition to traffic management and manpower to financing.

While these risks may be new for local players that have had few opportunities to work on metro projects in the region, they are familiar ones for international construction companies. These firms were prepared to compete aggressively for work on both metro schemes since other markets, most notably southern Europe, have offered few major opportunities for contractors in recent years.

With the majority of the metro work now awarded, the focus will shift to delivery and the consortiums that won the contracts will find out exactly how accurate their predictions were as they discover the amount of risk involved in building metros in cities such as Riyadh and Doha.

However, with risk comes reward. The multibillion-dollar deals will generate significant cash flows for work-hungry contractors and will create thousands of job opportunities for construction professionals and close to 100,000 jobs for labourers in both cities.

More importantly, the two schemes will transform two of the region’s capital cities into modern metropolises, and for the residents of Riyadh and Doha, that is the greatest reward of all.

Saudi’s USD22.5bn rail project heats up MENA metro race

jochemgeheniau — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 08:00:18 +0000

The Middle East has seen a surge in metro project contracts over the past year as governments realize the benefits of mass transit in supporting their public transportation initiatives and carbon reduction program.

Since the Dubai Metro was launched in 2009, countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Algeria have also stepped up their efforts to build metro rail systems. The list includes four-line metro projects in Doha and Kuwait, a metro network in Cairo and three extensions on the existing Algiers metro.

In July 2013, Qatar Rail, in association with Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and a global consultant, announced that it has identified around 104 metro-related opportunities for the local private sector. Mass transit projects promote mobility and encourage population redistribution, construction of new districts, creation of employment opportunities, and development of railway supply industries in surrounding areas, according to industry experts.

SAUDI’S METRO DREAMS

In Saudi Arabia, the government has embarked on a USD 22.5 billion plan to build Riyadh’s first metro rail system, which a Reuters report said aims to achieve more than improving the quality of life in the congested capital.

“It is part of an ambitious effort to shift the country’s economy beyond oil. The metro systems may also help Saudi Arabia manage its oil resources more efficiently – only about 2% of Riyadh’s 6 million population currently use public transport, leaving most of the rest dependent on gasoline-guzzling cars,” the report noted.

In the last week of July, the government awarded contracts for the system to three foreign-led consortia. Six rail lines carrying electric, driverless trains and extending 176 kilometers (110 miles) are to be completed by 2019.

Similar projects are underway in other major Saudi cities. Last August, the government approved a USD 16.5 billion plan to modernize the transport system in Makkah, including construction of a metro. Jeddah is also planning to build a metro that would cost around USD 9.3 billion.

“Growth in domestic oil consumption, as the country’s young population expands, has been outpacing [gains] in oil production capacity. So over the next decade or two, Saudi Arabia could be forced to cut back its oil exports; the metro systems buy it time before it faces such a crunch,” said the report.

The Riyadh metro is projected to carry 1.16 million passengers daily when launched, increasing to nearly 3.6 million within 10 years – a significant fraction of all trips in the country, which currently has a population of 28 million. Properties at 32 sites will be acquired for the Riyadh Metro project, said Ibrahim Al-Sultan, president of Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), in July. “We have set up a special committee at ADA for land acquisition.”

Dr. Abdel Fattah Toukan, partner and vice-president of BKCN Engineering in Canada, also foresees the rail projects in Saudi to enrich the lands around the railway boundaries, facilitate commercial activities and link cities to markets, serve pilgrims and enhance religious tourism.

Besides the metro, Saudi also has other major rail infrastructure projects in the pipeline such as the Mineral Railway, Saudi Land Bridge and the Makkah-Madinah high speed line, Toukan added. Future projects could also look into developing infrastructure that supports the movement of oil commodities within the region, but such railway projects “should be in parallel with a water channel that links the Gulf Sea with the Red Sea and a major pipeline project for crude oil transportation,” he commented.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Aghdam said that sustainability concerns could result to some projects being implemented at a later date so that developers may be able to deal with the supply and demand constraints.

Meanwhile, Manda of Frost & Sullivan said the region will face huge challenges in finding specialists and experienced staff as there are more announcements than actual construction. “We expect to see some movement on the Abu Dhabi Metro project, which is in the advanced planning stage. Egypt is still in troubled mode. We are optimistic about some visible growth in the latter part of 2014 within the metro and rail sector, where growth can be measured in terms of construction timeline,” he said.

Toukan said the expected infrastructure growth in the region also needs solutions such as greater government responsibilities and engagement, changes in law and regulations as well as international funding.

“Demand will outstrip supply within the next 20 years as the region will need metros and high speed trains for expanding cities,” he said. “Overall, the growth of rail supply market will continue well through 2015-2017 based on a generally favorable environment for rail combined with the high growth rates in MENA and the high oil prices. Within the [next] three years, the region will be a hub for rail professionals, financial institutions, bankers, business development companies, contractors and consultants competing with best technical and financial offers and maintenance programs.”

Detailed planning is also critical and the integrated transportation solutions should be specific and timely, added Aghdam. “This will need sufficient number of experienced staff (from the clients and the consultants) to work and develop strategically and tactically the roadmap for the development, planning and implementation of metro programs,” he said.

“The transportation solutions should reach out and provide the services to the public, which it intends to serve. It requires the understanding of the longer-term needs, anticipation for change and response to the change at the appropriate time.”

Riyadh Metro on track: Contract worth USD8bn awarded

jochemgeheniau — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 12:44:48 +0000

The Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has awarded the FCC-led consortium one of three contracts to build the Riyadh metro, the longest subway system under development in the world (176km).
Infrastructure and environmental services group FCC said in a media statement today that it has been awarded one of the contracts to build the metro, which has an estimated budget of over €16.3 billion ($21.6bn), i.e. 2.5 times the cost of the Medina-Mecca railway.

The contract includes the design and construction of lines 4 (orange), 5 (yellow) and 6 (purple), which will have 25 stations. Construction will include 64.6km of rail track: 29.8km of viaducts, 26.6km of underground track, and 8.2km of overground track.
The FCC contract is worth €6.070bn ($8.05bn), and is the largest international contract in the history of construction in which a Spanish company has been awarded a contract. FCC’s main consortium partners are Korean company Samsung and French company Alstom. The other members are Strukton (The Netherlands), Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, Typsa (Spain) and Setec (France). The project is to be executed in five years, and will employ 15,000 people.

Juan Béjar, Vice-President and CEO of FCC, said: “The Riyadh metro contract consolidates Spanish companies’ international reputation in global civil engineering projects. FCC’s references were instrumental in our successful bid for this project. The Riyadh metro contract dovetails perfectly with FCC’s new international strategy in construction, which is focused on infrastructure and on countries where we can best leverage our capabilities.”
The Riyadh metro is one of the largest public works projects in the world at present. The process commenced in July 2012, when 37 consortia comprising world leaders in construction, rolling stock and railway systems presented expressions of interest. Only four of these candidates were pre-qualified: those headed by Siemens with Vinci, Bombardier with OHL, and Ansaldo with Strabag.

The consortium headed by FCC will use three tunnel boring machines (TBM) to build tunnels almost 10 metres in diameter for the three lines. These lines will use two-car conductorless trainsets supplied by Alstom. There will be four types of stations: elevated, ground level, underground and intermodal to connect with different lines.

The largest subway project in the world
The six lines comprising the Riyadh metro project will span more than 176km, making it the largest metro under development in the world at present.
Construction will require 600,000 tonnes of steel (80 times the amount used to build the Eiffel Tower) and 4.3 million cubic metres of concrete (11 times the amount used for Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper), and will employ over 30,000 workers, of which more than half correspond to the consortium led by FCC.

This new metro will transform Riyadh, reducing traffic congestion, strengthening and driving the Saudi economy and improving living standards for citizens.

Riyadh currently has a population of 5.7 million, which is expected to increase to 8.3 million by 2030. The subway is a solution to daily traffic problems: of 7.4 million daily commutes; only 2 per cent use public transport.

Qatar to tender project management consultancy for rail systems

jochemgeheniau — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:39:59 +0000

Deadline set for 15 September for rolling stock, depots and track work

Qatar Railways Company is set to tender for the project management consultancy services contract for systems, rolling stock, depots and track work for Doha Metro.

The tender is due to be floated on 28 July and the deadline for bids is set for 15 September. The contract is expected to be awarded in the first quarter of 2014.

The contract covers phase one of the Doha metro project, which covers 130 kilometres of metro line and 49 stations and includes the planned Red Line North, Red Line South, Gold Line, Green Line and an operational link between Red Line South and Gold line.

A total of QR30bn-worth ($11bn) civil works contracts were awarded for the first phase of Doha metro in May. Bids for the Golden Line are still under evaluation.

A shortlist of companies to provide the systems, rolling stock and track work has already been drawn up, with the award expected to be made in the second quarter of 2014.

Value of MENA rail projects to soar amid network expansion

jochemgeheniau — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:05:02 +0000

The value of rail contracts awarded throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) reached $434 million in the first quarter of 2013, roughly 17 percent of the total $2.55 billion awarded in the transport sector overall.
The value is likely to increase further this year as contracts for plans to build more than 33,712 km of mainline routes and over 3,000 km of monorail and tram are expected to be awarded in the second half of the year.
“These developments make the region one of the world’s fastest growing markets for rail projects, driven by population growth, economic development, growing urbanization and ever-increasing traffic congestion throughout the region,” said Edmund O’ Sullivan, Chairman, MEED Events, organizers of the MENA Rail and Metro Summit scheduled to take place on Oct. 28-30, 2013 at the Beach Rotana Hotel in Abu Dhabi.
Now on its ninth year, MENA Rail and Metro Summit 2013 will present a definitive review of the rail projects that are currently ongoing as well as those still in the pipeline. It will provide key stakeholders invaluable insights on project delivery and operations, as well as advanced engineering solutions and technical best practices that will be critical to the development and execution of rail projects throughout the region.
The agenda includes a comprehensive review of rail projects in North Africa, including recent contracts covering the extension of the tram system in Algiers; the selection of firms for signaling packages on Egypt’s national railway network; and the awarding of contracts in Tunisia’s railways that will connect the capital to its surrounding suburbs.
In Saudi Arabia, three consortiums have so far been shortlisted by the Arriyadh Development Authority to deliver Riyadh’s new light-rail metro system, which will by far be the most advanced out of all the current metro developments in the Kingdom. Once the packages are awarded, the project will encourage other cities to ramp up efforts to build their own light -rail networks. Formal awards are expected in mid-July.
Elsewhere in the Kingdom, the Makkah Mass Rail Transit Company (MMRTC) has invited consultants, manufacturers and rolling stock suppliers to a series of talks outlining plans for a network of metro and bus lines in Makkah. Consultants have been vying to win the PMO consultancy contract since submitting bids earlier this year with a decision on contract awards expected to be announced also this month.
Meanwhile, consultants are preparing bids for a feasibility study into a railway line linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Initial plans envisaged that the connection will be 90 kilometers in length and is estimated to cost about $5 billion. Bahrain’s government is aiming to have the feasibility studies completed by the end of this year.
The new railway will help alleviate increasing congestion on the existing King Fahd Causeway linking the two countries. During key holiday periods, traffic on the causeway can reach 45,000 cars a day. The railway line will form part of the $15.5 billion GCC-wide railway network.
“The magnitude of rail developments in the region has elicited so much interest which is why the MENA Rail and Metro Summit is a must-attend event for those interested in gaining a complete understanding of the opportunities and challenges in the rail sector in the region,” O’Sullivan added.
The summit will be addressed by high-level government decision-makers and operators who share their plans for building the region’s biggest rail and metro projects. These include Ibrahim Al Sabti, Director of Transportation Department, The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf-General Secretariat (KSA); Abderrahmène Gamha, President and Chief Executive Officer, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (Tunisia); Engr.
Ibrahim K. Kutubkhanah, Chief Executive Officer, Metro Jeddah Company (KSA); Aomar Hadbi, Director General, Enterprise Metro d’Alger (Algeria); Draess Yousses, Director General, Casablanca Transports en Site Amenage (Morocco); Dr. Abdullah Malkawi Abdallah, Deputy to Director General, Jordan Hejaz Railway (Jordan); and Engr. Ramadan Abdullah Mohammed, Director of Rail Operations Department – Rail Agency, Roads and Transport Authority (UAE).

Design for rail project in Oman

jochemgeheniau — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 10:01:31 +0000

A keenly-awaited award for the Preliminary Design Consultancy services contract was announced by the Tender Boardhere yesterday, effectively signalling the formal commencement of work on the multibillion rial Oman National Railway Project. Although the Tender Board announcement — in line with longstanding practice — did not name the successful bidder, the contract award value of RO 13.582 million closely matched the financial bid submitted by the consortium led by Italferr, the international consulting arm of Ferrovie dello Stato, the Italian state railway. Also in the race for the contract were two other consortiums: one headed by DB International GmbH, the international transport solutions division of the German rail giant Deutsche Bahn; and the other by Oman’s National Engineering Office (NEO), representing a prominent Korean rail firm.

The Preliminary Design consultant is responsible for the provisional design of the complete infrastructure and systems covering all segments of the 1,061-km railway project, thereby securing the basis of a completed, fully functional, operating railway and inter-operable with the GCC network.Also as part of its brief, the consultant will undertake the preliminary design of, among other things: the alignment, track works and infrastructure; civil works, tunnels and structures; systems, and; functional design/ specifications of rolling stock. As reported by the Observer earlier this week, the National Railway Project will be developed as part of an integrated end-to-end network traversing the length of the country with linkages to all of the major maritime hubs. Transport & Communications Minister Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Futaisi described the project as “one big, ambitious and complete” network extending from Buraimi and Sohar through to Duqm and Salalah. “We are determined to link our three major ports in the county — Sohar, Duqm and Salalah — with other GCC countries through this important project,” he noted. Bids for the equally important Project Management Consultancy contract are also due to be opened later this month.