The high level of planning and investment in multi-modal transport infrastructure in major Middle East centres is enough to bring them close to terms with the world's most advanced cities within 15-20 years, a senior Atkins expert told industry leaders at the Infrastructure Outlook conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia today (24 March).
Dr Ghassan Ziadat, Atkins' director of planning and infrastructure, told delegates that clear government direction, through policy and legislation, remains essential to ensure the consistent and effective adoption of multi modal transportation and transit orientated developments (TODs) in the region's major cities.
Once the benefits of mass transit become clear, however, Dr Ziadat believes there will be a "virtuous circle" for urban design in the region.
"The level of understanding and the appetite for transit orientated design among clients in the Middle East is already on an exponential trajectory," says Dr Ziadat. "As new public transportation, particularly metros and light rail, become adopted this enlightenment can only increase, and I firmly believe we're going to see cars lose their prime status as the favoured method of inner-city transportation in an incredibly short timescale."
Dr Ziadat told delegates that the effects of public transport investment in cities such as Riyadh and Doha could ultimately have an even more transformational effect than that witnessed in Dubai. But while new metros, LRTs and other public transportation projects can deliver clear and immediate benefits, the wider social and economic impacts are likely to be realised more gradually.
"The adoption of a new public transport network is a journey in itself," says Dr Ziadat. "What we see now in Dubai is a very robust expectation that new developments need to be well integrated into the public transport network, with strong pedestrian access and an attractive public realm - otherwise they won't be successful.
"This shows a more mature market, and it gives me confidence that we'll see a similar impact right across the gulf region which will see major centres playing an accelerated catch-up with the most advanced transit cities in the world, such as Hong Kong and Singapore."
When delivered successfully, an integrated multi-modal transport infrastructure supports the economy, the environment and the reputation and competitiveness of cities. However, Dr Ziadat said that perhaps the most far-reaching benefits are social.
"Transit-orientated developments today promote healthy environments in which people can live, work and play. They enhance communities and encourage active lifestyles, which in turn support the virtuous circle to create a dynamic and sustainable city."
Investment in public transportation in the Middle East over the next 10-15 years is expected to be in the hundreds of billions of Dollars. New metro and LRT systems are either planned or underway in major gulf cities including Doha, Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Dammam and Abu Dhabi, while Dubai is to extend its metro systems and is launching a new tram network.
-Ends-
For more information:
Ben Thompson
Head of Communications, Middle East
+971 55 300 4047
ben.thompson@atkinsglobal.com
Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies*, employing some 17,400 people across the UK, North America, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Europe. Our people's breadth and depth of expertise and drive to ask why has allowed us to plan, design and enable some of the world's most complex and time critical projects.
*14th largest global design firm (Engineering News-Record 2013) and the third largest multidisciplinary consultancy in Europe (Svensk Teknik och Design 2013).
Recent projects:
Atkins is working across urban regeneration, masterplanning, national energy programmes, major transport schemes, water and environment projects - applying smart design solutions on projects including:
- Doha Central Planning Office - helping to resource Qatar's Central Planning Office (CPO) to co-ordinate the efficient delivery of multi-modal transport services across land, air and sea as part of its 2030 National Vision;
- The London 2012 Games infrastructure transformation - technical advisor on the legacy use transition of the Olympic Park as a follow-on role to our work as the Games' official engineering and design provider;
- UAE's peaceful nuclear new build programme - providing technical assurance to lenders backing the United Arab Emirates' most ambitious energy infrastructure projects;
- North Sea and Gulf of Mexico oil and gas platforms - extending the operational life of critical oil and gas platforms to allow cost-efficient and safe recovery of fuel sources from mature fields;
- SSE offshore wind alliance - provision of expert engineering and design support for the UK's biggest offshore wind alliance with Scottish and Southern Energy;
- Crossrail - designing the Central London twin tunnels and station architecture for Europe's biggest civil engineering scheme which will see tunnels passing beneath 470 listed buildings and critical infrastructure;
- Etihad Railway - providing multidisciplinary design expertise on the 1,200 km Etihad Rail network which will revolutionise passenger and freight transport in the UAE;
- Denmark ERTMS - providing multidisiplinary signalling expertise on the first countrywide installation of an ERTMS train control and management system in Denmark;
- Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge - lead consultant on this integral part of the new Hong Kong link road scheme which will significantly boost land connectivity in the region;
- Lowestoft Sixth Form College - design of the ultralow energy consumption Lowestoft College in the UK which aims to reduce operational energy use by more than 60% compared to previous designs;
- UK National Composites Centre - providing technical expertise to bring the latest lightweight carbon fibre materials to all engineering sectors, helping to develop innovative applications and reduce costs and carbon;
- US Environmental Protection Agency - providing technical assessment and analysis of national water-related resources and ecological systems in North America.
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) superfast broadband - providing technical, commercial and procurement support to help deliver superfast broadband to one of Europe's most remote regions.
© Press Release 2014
