Key points: 

> TRENDS: The Al-Ula agreement in 2021 and the award of major contracts on The Line at Neom saw the rail market bounce back last year.

> OVERVIEW: Major rail and metro contracts have only been awarded in six Mena states over the past 13 years, the largest of which is Saudi Arabia followed by Egypt.

> FUTURE CONTRACTS BY STAGE: There are $167bn-worth of railway and metro projects planned and unawarded in the Mena region. Just under $35bn of work is out in the market in tender or prequalification, with more than $60bn in the design stage.

> FUTURE CONTRACTS BY COUNTRY: The pipeline of future rail and metro projects is more diverse with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman all planning projects either for the first time or the first time in decades. However, the largest markets historically will dominate.

> CASE STUDY – Oman-UAE Rail Link: The client has prequalified three sets of consortiums that can bid for the project’s three main civil works packages. It has also issued the prequalification notice for the main construction works.

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