Transport and Logistics
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Flydubai inks logistics agreement
Dubai's first low cost carrier, Flydubai has signed an agreement with Danzas AEI Emirates, a joint venture between Al Tayer Group and DHL. Under the accord, Danzas will coordinate all Flydubai's logistics requirements. Danzas has facilities in Dubai Cargo Village, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Investment Park and Sharjah, and provides transport by ocean, road and air as well as warehousing and distribution services.
US agency suspends new Agility contracts
Kuwait's Agility has said that the US Defence Logistics Agency has temporarily suspended new contract awards to the firm until a legal dispute is resolved over alleged overcharging on food contracts, Wall Street Journal has reported. Agility, which denies the allegations, was indicted in Atlanta on multiple charges of conspiracy and fraud relating to $8.5bn worth of contracts to supply food to US troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Jordan. Defence and government contracts account for at least 30% of the company's annual revenue, with the remainder coming from its commercial business.
Fujairah to build new airport cargo village
Fujairah International Airport is set to launch a new cargo village that will increase its handling capacity from the existing 40,000 tons per year to nearly 200,000 tons. "We are working right now on selecting the consultant and design, and work will start next year," Dr Khaled Almazroui, the airport's General Manager told Emirates Business 24/7. The new cargo village will be built to handle anywhere between 150,000 to 200,000 tons of cargo per year and will be fully automated.
Construction completed on final Red Line Metro stations
The construction of the final 19 stations on the current length of Dubai Metro's Red Line has been completed, the Roads and Transport Authority has said. The stations, which are due to begin opening in February next year, still have some electromechanical work that needs to be completed prior to that date. The metro opened in September with only 10 stations ready in time. The Green Line is due to begin operations during mid 2010, although the Purple Line has been put on hold due to the economic downturn. The RTA has plans to extend the Red and Green lines over the coming four years, with an additional 12 stations being added to their routes.
Dubai Metro completes construction, set in Feb
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced through an inspection tour that all construction works on the 19 stations on the Red Line of Dubai Metro have been completed, with electromechanical works in the said stations range from 80 to 97%. RTA ha said it is all set in the next phase opening of the stations in February 2010.
Jordan to promote rail project in France
A Jordanian government delegation will visit Paris on Friday to promote Jordan's national railway project and outline financial sources available to support it, state news agency Petra has reported. The delegation will meet with 40 financial and banking institutions, as well as railway companies from various countries.
Abu Dhabi to receive bids for road project in Dec
John Lee, an advisor to Abu Dhabi's Department of Transport, has said the emirate will receive bids in December for a $2.72bn highway project, Bloomberg has reported. The 327-kilometre road will link the emirate to Saudi Arabia.
Agility posts 15% rise in Q3 profit
Kuwait-based logisitics firm Agility has exceeded forecasts by posting a 15% rise in third-quarter net profits, Reuters has reported. Net income in the three months to September 30 rose to KD40.5m from KD35.2m in the year-earlier period. Net profit for the first nine months of 2009 also climbed 7% to KD115.5m, compared to the same period a year earlier.
Dubai metro nears 3m passengers
The number of passengers using Dubai metro is about 40% higher than had been expected prior to the launch of the rail service, the Roads and Transport Authority has said. Nearly three million passengers have used the metro in its first two months at an average of 57,000 trips per day, said Peyman Parham, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications, RTA. Some days the numbers are as high as 90,000 to 100,000, he added. "The daily number has been lower on week days and higher on weekends, averaging at about 57,000 per day. But there were a few days when it went to 90,000 to 100,000. The total number is 40 per cent higher than we expected," he said.
Saudi monorail project to partially open next year
Habeeb Zain Al-Abidine, deputy minister of Saudi Arabia's municipal and rural affairs ministry, has said that Makkah's monorail project will be partially operational next year and fully operational a year later, Arab News has reported. Studies are now under way on extending the monorail to a station close to the Grand Mosque in Makkah, to link it with the Haramain Railway that connects the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. 'Once we find this project to be a success, we'll apply this system for the transportation of pilgrims even outside the holy sites,' Al-Abidine said.
Dubai driving process changes mooted
Under a proposal by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the process for training young drivers and maintaining standards for professionals would undergo sweeping changes, The National has reported. Lorry, bus and taxi drivers who suffer from chronic illnesses and other health issues would be required to receive official permission to drive and to submit health examination results every five years, while drivers under 21 would fall under a provisional licensing regime mandating yearly renewal, and their vehicles would be marked with special plates, the RTA said.
GAC ties up with Pole Position Spitsbergen
GAC Group has announced its alliance with Pole Position Spitsbergen AS, establishing its base on the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The partnership is aimed at serving client needs, particularly those in the oil and gas sector. The company is also offering polar bear protection for vessels intending to berth outside of the island's settlements.
Syria opens coastal radar stations
The General Department of Harbours in the Syrian port city of Lattakia has announced the completion of the installation of five radar stations along the coastline that cover the Syrian territorial waters and is aimed at guaranteeing the safety of ships, the state news agency SANA has reported. Two watch towers have been also completed in Lattakia and Tartous, in addition to preparing the two harbours to use a radar system for controlling maritime movement using the VTMS system, in addition to stations for Automatic Identification System (AIS) for ships.
Kuwait moving forward with metro project
Kuwait has invited consultants to express interest in its 171-kilometre metro project, MEED magazine has reported. The estimated $7bn scheme will involve building four lanes, with 60km of the network underground. The successful developer will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the metro network for an undisclosed period of time.
Dubai metro passenger tally tops 2.5m
The Dubai Metro has served over 2.5 million passengers since launching operations on September 9, Gulf News has reported, citing a Roads and Transport Authority official. Ramadan Abdullah, director of operations at the agency, said the service is averaging 57,000 passengers per day.
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