Source: www.steelguru.com
The Al Habtoor Leighton Group has announced it has joined forces with leading Australian rail contractor John Holland to create Advance Rail Group to pursue an expected USD 75 billion in future rail jobs in the GCC region.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Advance Rail Group is set to become the region’s most formidable rail contractor combining the local knowledge of HLG with the technical expertise of Mr John Holland a specialist international rail contractor with more than 40 years’ experience. Mr John Holland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings which is HLG’s largest shareholder.
With the USD 30 billion Union Railway project about to take off, international rail contractors from the United States, the European Union and Asian countries are strengthening their base in the UAE to share in future opportunities that may arise as a result.
Mr Laurie Voyer CEO & MD of HLG welcomed the launch of ARG and said that the company was uniquely placed to pursue rail opportunities in this region.
Mr Voyer said that rail is one of HLG’s key market sectors. The strength of both HLG and John Holland puts us in an excellent position to take advantage of the increased opportunities in this growing sector. This exciting new venture will put us at the forefront of rail design, construction, maintenance and operations in the region.
He said that metro lines are expected to be installed in Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Light rail lines are also planned. Our initial focus will be in regional rail in Abu Dhabi and metro systems in Doha. The establishment of this new rail business aligns with HLG’s business strategy to secure more civil infrastructure in this region.