Eleven MENA region countries are investing a total of $490bn in new railway networks, as well as upgrading existing networks, according to a report published by Timetrec’s Construction Intelligence Centre.
Along with the major railway projects in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman there are some surprises. For instance, Iraq is investing USD $70bn in its new railway network, and Nigeria investing $59bn in the High Speed West Coast Railway. Qatar is investing $43bn in its own integrated railway network as part of its Qatar National Vision 2020.
Some of the largest railway investment is going into some of the largest countries, with Saudi Arabia building the El Haramein Railway and the Saudi Land Bridge, both of which will be several hundreds of kilometres long. Between the six nations of the GCC, over £120bn is being invested in a regional railway network linking the Iraqi border in Kuwait with the Yemeni border in Oman.

In a ceremony with hundreds of senior officials from across the UAE, Etihad Rail signed a Memorandum of Understanding to participate in the Maqta Gateway, a system designed to improve the efficiency of all exports and imports through Abu Dhabi Port.
The Maqta Gateway project is an electronic and physical gateway allowing shippers, shipping lines, rail and air businesses to deal with customs and other government agencies as a single point of contact. Individuals connecting with the system will be able to get real time information about specific cargoes through their computers and mobile phones. Data will be fed into global logistics operations, enabling cargo to be tracked anywhere in the world.
Over 90% of cargo around the world goes by sea, so having the Maqta Gateway in Abu Dhabi Port is central for intermodal cargo transportation, for example so containers can move from the container ports onto railways as efficiently as possible. With the development of the GCC Railway Network, Etihad Rail’s use of the Maqta Gateway will significantly increase in the coming years.

Abdeljabbar Ben Salem, Head of Rail Systems

Abdeljabbar, who has a PhD in robotics and automation from Nancy University in France and an MBA from Manchester Business School in the UK, has joined Atkins after eight years with Bombardier, for whom he worked in France, the UK and Dubai, UAE.

Julian Hill, managing director for the Middle East Rail sector for Atkins, says: “Rail systems skills are deeply technical and much sought after in the marketplace – not just in this region but across the world.

“By investing strongly in our rail systems team we’re ensuring that we’re in the best possible position to meet future demand as the region’s major rail projects and programmes gain momentum.”

Abdeljabbar believes the rail market in the Middle East has reached a crucial phase which will spur even greater demand for rail systems engineers.

“The most advanced cities in the region have reached their respective stages of development thanks to the strength of their vision and their passion,” he said.

“What we’re seeing now, though, is a demand for the scientific planning and understanding which is needed for smart city urbanisation, and rail systems skills are an integral part of that vision.

”According to respected industry magazine MEED, the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for rail and metro projects, with more than $35 billion-worth of contracts awarded in 2013. Projects planned or under way in the region are valued at just under $170 billion, including more than $50 billion-worth of projects in Saudi Arabia and $35 billion in Qatar.

Atkins is among the leading rail sector consultancies in the Middle East after first developing its team to provide full multidisciplinary design and management of the civil works on Dubai Metro, the first phase of which was completed in September 2009. The company is currently working on major rail and metro projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.