Transport

Further progress towards the construction of a national rail network, along with long-awaited expansions in the port system, are highlighting Oman’s potential to become a lynchpin for commercial transport in the GCC. A special body will be set up within the Ministry of Transport and Communications to facilitate the installation of a new rail network in the Sultanate, Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi, the transport and communications minister, said.

The announcement in December that direct flights will soon link Beijing and Johannesburg was a fitting end to a year that has seen South Africa-China trade ties rise past expectations.

Abu Dhabi will soon be connected to the other emirates of the UAE and to the wider region by a broad-gauge rail network that will streamline logistics, boost exports and increase industrial development.

Dubai has cleared the way for private investors to enter the emirate’s public transport sector, having laid the foundations for a partial privatisation of some operations in the state’s growing rail, road and waterborne networks.

Major changes are in the works for the Nigerian aviation sector, with plans to upgrade a number of airports. Officials have also called for a review of the government’s airport concession agreements, with an aim to generate more revenue to support further development of the country’s air travel infrastructure.

Brunei Darassalam’s skies are set to get more crowded and its international airport busier, with an increasing number of airlines looking to serve routes to the Sultanate and the country’s own flag carrier positioning itself to maximise returns by sharpening its focus on the regional market.