Middle East and Hong Kong Rail Projects for Planning Engineers

Planning Engineers with rail and heavy civil infrastructure experience are in very high demand both in Hong Kong, Asia and in much of the Middle East as the momentum of rail related projects gathers pace.  Let's take a look at the types of rail projects a good planner can expect to have a chance to work on in these regions currently or in the near future!

Rail Projects in The Middle East:
The extension of the Dubai Metro (up to £1Bn) is currently in the feasibility and planning stages. 3 new lines (Blue, Purple and Gold) will complement the existing Red and Green lines currently in operation. The final plan is for 5 lines totalling over 200kms in length with 128 stations fully servicing Dubai by 2025, and the award of the World Expo 2020 to Dubai is now likely to expedite these expansion plans. 

The Abu Dhabi Metro is in the latter stages of planning its own (£4.5Bn) Metro system. The system will eventually connect Abu Dhabi airport and all key commercial areas of the city. Tenders will be out Q1, 2014 and Phase 1 of the project is due to be completed by 2017.
Etihad Rail (£7.5Bn) will initially serve as a freight line. Phase 1 is well underway and will connect Ruwais with the Shah gas fields. Completion expected in 2014. Stages 2 & 3 will see the network connect with Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Sharjah. Links with Saudi Arabia and Oman are also planned as part of a rail network capable of linking all of the GCC. These phases will also see the network being used for passengers as well as freight.

Qatar Rail Projects:
Qatar’s plans for rail related projects are the most ambitious, totalling £32Bn.  The Doha Metro is one of the single largest developments in the Gulf region currently. The system will be a largely underground with 4 lines servicing the greater Doha area, with over ground and elevated lines towards the outskirts of the city. 200km of track and 85 stations, including the main Msheireb Station which will serve as the hub for the whole Qatar Rail Network. Contracts for many of the underground lines have now been awarded and are employing staff (get in touch if interested!!). The awards for the elevated sections of the various lines are due imminently.
The Lusail Light Rail Transit servicing the new city of Lusail has already been started and the project has a value of approximately £1.2Bn. This light rail network will contain a combination of underground and over ground sections with 4 lines (48km in length with 38 stations) planned to service the various districts of the city. Lusail will host one of the iconic Wold Cup 2022 stadiums and eventually a population of 250,000 residents.

If you are a Planning Engineer skilled in Primavera P6 with experience in tender planning, production planning or delay analysis on rail or heavy civil infrastructure projects and are considering working in the UAE or the Middle East region, please submit your CV via the Maxim Recruitment website & advise your availability for an exploratory chat.

Lets now take a look at Hong Kong and other parts of Asia as a destination offering attractive rail projects and opportunities for construction planning engineers:

Hong Kong
There are nine significant contracts still to be awarded on the SCL (Shatin Central Link) project being built by the Mass Transit Rail Corporation (MTRC) in Hong Kong.
There is a desperate shortage of sector-specific planners, i.e. planners experienced in rail systems, tunnels, underground stations and major terminus projects. Planners with this specialist experience will likely be sourced from UK, Australia, and South East Asia where previous relevant rail project experience has been obtained.
There is also a shortage of local Cantonese speaking planners as the local talent pool has already dried up with the very best talent already gainfully employed on projects.  Tender planners with demonstrable skills in bid preparation are highly sought after.

Construction firms relatively new to Hong Kong are tendering for further projects to increase their presence in the market and hence seek planners with strong local industry knowledge. Jockeying with these companies to be awarded contracts are the well-established firms who need to maintain a pipeline of revenue.

Malaysia/Thailand/Vietnam
Major multi-million $$$ rail projects are both planned and underway in Malaysia; (KVMRT – Phases 1&2 and twin tracking projects), double tracking projects throughout Thailand together with the next stages of the Bangkok metro and Vietnam with 6 lines servicing HCMC and 8 lines serving Hanoi.
If you are a Planning Engineer skilled in Primavera P6 with experience in tender planning, production planning or delay analysis on rail or heavy civil infrastructure projects and will consider working in Hong Kong or across South East Asia, please submit your CV via the Maxim Recruitment website.

Please also take a look at the planning section of our current vacancy portfolio by clicking here.

For further information or an informal chat on Hong Kong / Asia based career openings for planners, please contact:
Donald Leung on donald@maximrecruitment.com

For further information or an informal chat on Dubai, UAE and Middle East career opportunities for Planners, please contact:
Richard Poulter on richard@maximrecruitment.com