21
october 2014
international
construction
REGIONALREPORT
Global showpieces
>
Muhammad Al-Jasser, at an International Monetary Fund
forum in June as part of the GCC’s “huge strides” being made
to boost economic and social development.
However, he added that greater economic diversification
through encouraging greater levels of private investment, was
required to deliver sustained levels of growth.
With strong state backing, Saudi Arabia remains at the
forefront of rail infrastructure development in the region. It
has spent significantly on public works projects during the past
five years. The country is proposing to spend a further US$
97 billion on rail upgrades by 2040,
according to the Saudi Arabia Railway
Master Plan.
This will involve a phased introduction
of around 10,000 km of railway lines
over the next 30 years.
There are also a number of key urban
metro projects in the pipeline in Abu
W
ith some of themost breathtakingprojects in theworld
under development, a growing sense of confidence has
returned to theMiddleEast constructionmarket.
While areas of the region may be firmly under the global
microscope over instability in Syria and Iraq, the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Qatar, UAE, Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, Oman andKuwait have embarked on a raft of
large-scale publicworks andmajor private ventures.
According to financial group Citi Research, more than US$
2.2 trillion in infrastructure spending is underway in the region.
From the world’s tallest building, the
KingdomTower, taking shape in Jeddah,
Saudi Arabia, to a series of prestigious
stadiums for the 2022 FIFAWorld Cup
inQatar, through to the largest shopping
centre ever created inDubai - theMall of
theWorld - it is hard to ignore the scale
of ambition being displayed.
Underpinning such schemes are major
rail network improvement plans worth a
total of US$ 200 billion as part of the
region’sGulf Railway project.
Its scheduled 2,117 km of rail lines will
connect theGCC states and is due to be
complete by 2018.
Key infrastructure enhancements such
as this were hailed by Saudi Arabian
minister for the economy and planning,
Global showpieces
Major projects are being launched or restarted in theMiddle East,
withQatar, Saudi Arabia and theUAE standing out as hotspots
for construction activity.
Neill Barston
reports.
An artists’ impression
of the newMidfield
Terminal Complex at
Abu Dhabi airport.
At 1 km high, the Kingdom Tower in
Jeddah, Saudi Arabiawill be the tallest
building in theworld.
Bauer was the foundations contractor.
