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Makkah Rail Project to Take Off by Year-End

JEDDAH, 25 March 2008 -- The railway project connecting Makkah with Jeddah and Madinah is set to commence by the end of the year, Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry said yesterday.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Saudi International Ports & Maritime Transport Forum, which ends today, Al-Seraisry said: "Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah is greatly interested in the project, which aims at easing the heavy traffic between the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, particularly over the Haj and Ramadan seasons."

The Makkah-Madinah Rail Link Project, which covers a distance of 500 km at an estimated cost of SR20 billion, will be executed next year and will open for service soon thereafter, he added. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah approved the high-speed electrified railway network in February this year.

Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Majed opened the three-day event, the first such forum here, at the Jeddah Hilton on Sunday night. More than 1,200 national and international delegates are participating in the forum organized by the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) , with some leading experts giving presentations. A number of shipping companies and agencies are taking part in an exhibition alongside the forum.

Speaking on the Land Bridge project to connect Jeddah and Riyadh, Seraisry said he expected the formalities related to its construction contract to be completed in a couple of months.

The minister hoped that the completion of the land bridge would boost the importance of the Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) , which is one of the best-equipped ports in the world. The minister said: "The rapid economic development in the Kingdom has made it imperative to focus our attention to the development of sea ports. The Jeddah Islamic Port has become an industrial port with the completion of the latest container terminal at a cost of SR1.5 billion."

JCCI Chairman Saleh Al-Turki said in his welcome address at the inauguration that the forum was designed to essentially focus on the environmental issues confronting the maritime industry. It will also provide a global overview of the industry, and the present status and future prospects of Saudi ports, as well as addressing the challenges facing the Kingdom's maritime and ports industry.

Tarek Al-Marzouky, chairman of the forum, said the event was taking place at a time when the Kingdom had embarked on a strategy to drive the industry forward and stimulate its continuous growth with the public and private sector partnership. Among the exhibitors is Globe Marine Services Company whose team of executives including General Manager Emad Fareed Abdul Jawad, Assistant General Manager Capt. Abdul Shakoor, Shipping Manager Anees Ahmed Atiq (Globe Marine Norasia) and Coordinating Manager Anwer Hussain, explained the ongoing trends in the maritime industry in general and the professional services offered by the company in particular.

Akil Gulamhussein, shipping manager at Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co. Ltd , another exhibitor, said the company was the oldest family business in Saudi Arabia with a history dating back a century and a half. Its founder Zainal Alireza began trading from Jeddah in 1845.

Jeddah Islamic Port , Saudi Research & Marketing group, UASC and the Maritime Co. for Navigation are the main sponsors of the forum. Its platinum sponsors include Globe Marine Services and Tusdeer (Red Sea Gateway Terminal), platinum sponsors include Haji Abdullah Alireza & Co. Ltd ., Emaar, King Abdullah Economic City and Al-Zakir International Group, and silver sponsors are the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia , Gulf Stevedoring Contracting co. ltd., Kanoo Shipping Agencies and Zahid Tractor .

Its participating sponsors are DP World, Maersk Line, Bakri Navigaton Co. Ltd., Ajwa Group for Food Industries and Saudi Modern Foods Factory. Arab News, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Eqtisadiah, Portstrategy, Transportweekly, Lexington Freight Forwarding, SeaFright and Containerization International are the forum's exclusive press sponsors.

By K.S. Ramkumar & Galal Fakkar

© Arab News 2008