Massive infrastructure developments in MENA

The Bahrain Airport project is a $1 billion development that aims to host 27 million passengers a year. Other projects, like the Riyadh Metro, extending 176 kilometres of rail throughout the largest city in Saudi Arabia, present growth opportunities that will last a decade or more. And the $3.3 billion Shuqaiq Steam Power Plant being built by the Saudi Electricity Company is just the type of opportunity creator so necessary for the wider region to progress. It is also one of the featured projects in the Strategic Top 100 MENA + South Asia report, from Washington, DC-based global project development firm CG/LA Infrastructure. It identifies projects that will stimulate economic competitiveness and opportunity creation in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA), as well as South Asia.

“The Strategic Top 100 recognizes those innovators and visionaries who are turning concepts into a reality in which sustainable economic growth and value are paramount,” said CG/LA Infrastructure President and CEO Norman F Anderson. “These projects highlight opportunities in the GCC countries, and hold those up as examples for the wider region to create sustained productivity and prosperity.”

The 100 highlighted projects – valued at $571 billion – were selected following a six-month process that began with a preliminary list of more than 400 projects and prioritized through CG/LA’s proprietary ranking model. A major criterion is that they must offer business opportunities beginning within the next three to 18 months. "The challenges of this region are well-known and are not just political, Anderson added. "The natural resource dichotomy – major energy resources and limited water resources – creates tremendously challenging opportunities. These include finding new and innovative ways to retain, reuse, convert, and conserve water. Just in water and wastewater alone, we have identified $18 billion in project value throughout the value chain."

The report can be downloaded in English or Arabic at: http://store.globalvipprojects.com/product/strategic-top-100-mena-south-asia/