The Middle East

As environmental concerns become increasingly pressing for governments and businesses alike, the shipping industry is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. In August 2021 Danish shipping company Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping line, announced that it had invested $1.4bn in eight new vessels to be powered by methanol, rather than oil-based fuels. The ships...

Saudi Arabia’s transport and logistics sector encompasses a broad range of active facilities and routes. Given the Kingdom’s position between Europe and Asia and its central role in the global energy market, as well as the current importance of imported goods for meeting basic consumer demand, transport and logistics are crucial to the economy. Plans for the sector’s future...

Following delays, the long-awaited GCC Railway looks likely to be revitalised – a move that could transform trade and connectivity across the Gulf. The project was given a significant boost in December 2021 when leaders of the six GCC countries approved the establishment of the GCC Railways Authority, the body that is expected to oversee the ongoing coordination of the project...

By 2030 Saudi Arabia is seeking to attract 100m domestic and international tourists per annum as part of wider efforts to diversify economic growth away from hydrocarbons (see Tourism chapter). This target represents a significant increase in inbound visitors and internal movement within the Kingdom for leisure purposes, and will necessitate upgrades and expansion to transport...