Russian Railways, the country’s railway monopoly, has announced plans to take part in several railroad projects worth a total of around $3bn in the Middle East and Africa.
The company’s foreign projects subsidiary of Zarubezhstroitekhnologia (ZST) is eyeing opportunities in the Gulf countries, which are planning infrastructure construction worth about $1trn, the head of the subsidiary, Yuri Nikolsson said.
He added that the company has great prospects in the Arabian Gulf, where the countries of the region are planning infrastructure construction worth about a trillion dollars. The Arab countries plan to unite the entire region through the railway, Nikolsson said during an interview with Prime news agency.
ZST is set to participate in the bidding for a $2bn railway construction project near the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, as well as a $3-4bn light metro chain project in Kuwait, and railway projects in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, he said.
“It was announced that there should be a railway, railway stations, depots and the entire necessary infrastructure. [According to the project,] the railway must be ready in 2015 and all infrastructures in Abu Dhabi must be completed in 2016,” Nikolsson explained.
The results of the tender will be known in August or September 2012, he said. If ZST win the tender, then approximately 150 to 200 Russian engineers will work on the project.
Nikolsson added that the Russian company planned to bid for the $3-4bn light metro chain project in Kuwait, as well as for railway projects in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.