The rolling sand dunes of the Middle Eastern desert have
historically only been negotiated by Bedouin, dromedary and Wilfred
Thesiger and, more recently, by the ubiquitous 4x4. In terms of
mechanised public transport, much of the Middle East is virtually a
blank canvas. However, because of their rapidly growing
populations1 and increasingly congested roads, coupled
with an increased recognition of the role that quality transport
infrastructure has to play in fostering and sustaining economic
development, many of the governments in the region are urgently
amending their infrastructure development plans to include new rail
systems for both passengers and freight.
It is clear that the current economic downturn and the
difficulties in sourcing long-tenor project finance is impacting
the Middle Eastern projects market. That said, there remains a
great swathe of very significant Middle Eastern rail projects
slated for the next three to five years or more. Some
