Transport and Logistics

Dubai traffic fines can be paid by credit card
Dubai has launched a new electronic system to allow motorists to pay traffic fines using credit cards, reported Khaleej Times. The new machine reads the credit card number and deducts the fine amount. Motorists can now pay the fines using credit cards at the payment centres, kiosks in shopping malls, through the voice system (IVR), or by accessing Dubai Police web site.
United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, February 20 - 2008 at 09:22

Dubai Industrial City completes arterial road
Dubai Industrial City, a member of Tatweer, has announced the completion of the major arterial highway that cuts through the entire industrial hub of Dubai, linking the Emirates Road with the Dubai Bypass road. The 10 km-long road that took 12 months to build at a cost of Dhs250m ($68m)will offer access to vehicles transporting goods and services across Dubai Industrial City. It has two lanes on each side serving the commercial and industrial areas of the industrial hub.
United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, February 20 - 2008 at 08:01

Saudi launches road mobile mapping system
Transport Minister Jabara Al Seraisry has launched the first state-of-the- art SR7.8m Road Mobile Mapping System which will facilitate the ministry in maintaining roads in top condition, reported Khaleej Times. A MMS (Mobile Mapping System) can acquire the road database, while offering an unbeatable productivity with the combination of navigation, and videogrammetry tools. The MMS, features a GPS/ DR(Dead Reckoning) combined navigation system, a GPS-Gyro/IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), laser scanners, nearly horizontal cameras and high sampling rate road data measurement logger, can measure centreline and sideline location precisely considering 3D road surface model based on a laser scanner. Prior to the launch of the MMS, the ministry also signed contracts worth more than SR455m for the purchase of buses and road extensions as final expenditures from the last budget. Last year, the ministry was allocated SR8bn for its expenses.
Saudi Arabia: Tuesday, February 19 - 2008 at 10:45

Warships soon to visit Qatar
The world will move towards Qatar in the second week of next month. The vessels include some of the most advanced submarines and Navy Destroyers, reported The Peninsula. The warships’ entry into Qatar's territorial waters is part of an exhibition of warships to be held in connection with the forthcoming Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX 2008). The Naval Forces of the US, the UK, France, Australia, Pakistan, India, Italy and Oman have already confirmed participation in the event.
Qatar: Tuesday, February 19 - 2008 at 09:20

Egypt closes in Mediterranean ports
The Egyptian port of Alexandria and nearby Dekheila port closed on Monday because of high winds and waves, reported Reuters. The port authorities close the entrances to the ports during bad weather to prevent accidents. Heavy rain on the Mediterranean coast had flooded some Alexandria streets, disrupting traffic.
Egypt: Tuesday, February 19 - 2008 at 08:35

DP World enters Egypt
Dubai-based DP World has announced that it has entered the Egyptian market with the acquisition of a controlling stake of Sokhna Port for $670m, reported Khaleej Times. The company said it will invest a further $1.3bn in the expansion of the Egyptian port during the next three years. In addition, the Egyptian government will be investing five billion Egyptian pounds to increase the capacity of the port. Sokhna port is located about 40 kilometres south of Suez on the Red Sea.
Egypt: Monday, February 18 - 2008 at 09:12

Abu Dhabi to build new border post
Abu Dhabi is to build a new border post at Ghuweifat, on the border with Saudi Arabia, reported our sister publication Meed. The post will be built adjacent to the existing facility on a 1.4 square-kilometre plot of land with several main buildings, roads, infrastructure and smaller ancillary buildings. The project is the latest aimed at improving links with Saudi Arabia. For the road network, a major expansion to the Mafraq-Ghuweifat highway is currently in the design stage, and the first phase of the inter-emirates rail network that will run from the border to Abu Dhabi is currently in the early planning stages.
United Arab Emirates: Monday, February 18 - 2008 at 08:33

Sandstorm causes closure of Kuwait ports
A sandstorm with winds reaching 75 kilometres an hour, battered Kuwait forcing authorities to close three ports because of poor visibility, the official KUNA news agency said. It quoted port officials as saying visibility had dropped to less than 500 metres (yards) although Kuwait's international airport, where visibility was 600 metres, was operating normally.
Kuwait: Sunday, February 17 - 2008 at 08:55