Source:Â www.ameinfo.com
Mott MacDonald, the leading global engineering, management and development consultancy, is one of the main sponsors of the Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Rail Projects 2010 Conference. The event will take place on 27-29 September at the Sheraton Hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Representing Mott MacDonald at the event will be Regional Managing Director for the Middle East and Group Board Director Kevin Stovell, who will be involved in a panel discussion on the 28 September focusing on the subject: PPP, project finance, public procurement – what is the best solution to develop major rail projects in the Middle East and successfully raise the financing amounts required?
Also at the event will be Transport and Planning Manager Michael Barron, who will be giving a presentation entitled Safeguarding – reducing the future capital cost of rail projects through advance planning. Michael’s presentation also takes place on 28 September, and he will discuss why we should safeguard now for the region’s long term rail plans, what challenges and benefits there are in identifying and safeguarding route corridors, and his recent experiences and successes in the sector.
Michael Barron said, “With the high volume of rail projects either being planned or under construction across the Middle East it’s vitally important that Mott MacDonald are well represented at the MEED Rail Conference, which through my presentation and also being a main sponsor will ensure we are. I hope to promote and expand on our business in the region at the conference, which is a number one priority market for the global rail industry at the moment.”
The conference will feature over 30 speakers who are both regionally and internationally renowned in the railway sector and discussions will focus on current and upcoming challenges being faced by developers, operators, government officials, and investors. There will also be updates on the current status of the region’s major light and heavy railway projects.
Mott MacDonald provides clients with a complete railway capability and consultancy service, with a portfolio that covers all types of rail projects such as high-speed rail, metros, light rail and monorail. Our services cover the full lifetime of a project, from initial concept through design and procurement, including PPP, and operations and maintenance. Key regional projects include the New Doha International Airport metro station box currently under construction and the Palm Jumeirah Monorail, which opened in April 2009 and is the Middle East’s first monorail system. It has the capacity to carry 6,000 passengers per hour in each direction and Mott MacDonald ensured that the final product met the client’s requirements.