Global Supply Chain March 2014

Page 15

Country report

RAIL Overview Kuwait plans to invest heavily in its rail sector in the short and medium term Kuwait Metro Kuwait plans to build a 171-kilometre four line metro system for up to ~70 million passengers annually. 60-kilometres will be underground and will span across 60 stations Expected budget: $7billion The metro will be built in five phases until 2035 Up to 50% of the project was expected to be financed through an initial public offering (IPO) Preparations of expressions of interest for the first package of the project were being undertaken, when the same was put on hold in late-2012, after the Government ordered a review of the plans while it considers bringing them back under government ownership The first package covering the rolling stock is planned to be tendered in 2013

KUWAIT RAIL NETWORK

Plans are in place for the construction of a 550-kilometres railway in Kuwait, which will stretch from the east to the west of the country and will link into the railway networks of neighboring Saudi Arabia and Iraq; with an expected budget ofaround $10 billion, and expected completion by 2017 Feasibility studies for the project were being conducted when the same was put on hold in late-2012, after the Government ordered a review of the plans while it considers bringing them back under government ownership SILK CITY RAIL

A rail network between major Middle East cities and China –the route will travel through Kuwait, Damascus and Baghdad, and will eventually link the Middle East with China This is part of the Silk City project expected to be completed by 2030 Progress on the $77 billion Silk City project stalled after Kuwait called for a review of its master plan

ROAD Overview Kuwait has one of the best road systems in the GCC with considerable coverage of the entire country. Plans are in place to further improve the country’s roads $14.2bn worth of road work to be completed over the next five years Subiya Causeway Kuwait plans to construct an eight-lane bridge of 37.5-kilometrelength across the Bay of Kuwait connecting Shuwaikh Port with Subiya New Town Development The $2.6 billion contract for the designing and building of the causeway shall also include two man-made islands of 30 hectares, one on each side of the bridge, for housing of maintenance and traffic emergency buildings, fuelling stations and boat docks The project is expected to be completed by Q1 2018 AL JAHRA ROAD UPGRADE

The project involves upgrading Jahra Road

to increase its capacity and improve road facilities and services It includes a 7.2-kilometre long viaduct and construction of a 21-kilometre motorway, a 1-kilometre tunnel, an elevated 7-kilometre motorway on the viaducts, which consists of approximately 8,500 precast segments to cover a total area of 38,000 cubic meters The Jahra Road Development project was formally launched in February 2011 SHEIKH JABER AL-AHMED AL-SABAH BRIDGE (DOHA LINK BRIDGE)

A16 km long bridge will connect Shuwaikh to the port villageof Doha in the Jahra region, it will connect toSubiya Causeway project The bridge will contain three traffic lanes and an emergency lane in each direction. The project is expected to cost ~$1 billion

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