Al Habtoor Leighton sets sights on regional rail plans

Dubai: The Al Habtoor Leighton Group (HLG), a joint venture between the Al Habtoor Group and Australia's Leighton, has announced it has joined forces with leading Australian rail contractor John Holland to create Advance Rail Group, to pursue an expected $75 billion (Dh275.4 billion) in future rail jobs in the GCC region.

Based in Abu Dhabi, Advance Rail Group (ARG) is set to become the region's most formidable rail contractor, combining the local knowledge of HLG with the technical expertise of John Holland, a specialist international rail contractor with more than 40 years' experience, a company statement said.

John Holland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leighton Holdings, which is HLG's largest shareholder.

Strengthening base

With the $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. HLG CEO and Managing Director Laurie Voyer welcomed the launch of ARG and said the company was uniquely placed to pursue rail opportunities in this region.

"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."

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," Voyer said. "The establishment of this new rail business aligns with HLG's business strategy to secure more civil infrastructure in this region."

John Holland's Group Managing Director Glenn Palin said the launch of ARG represents an important new overseas venture for the business.

"John Holland has proven experience delivering and maintaining rail infrastructure in remote and rural areas of Australia, so we are well equipped with the right people and plants to manage the challenging landscape of the Middle East," he said.