tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50871026821093706422024-03-13T14:56:55.630-07:00CoalporterPeter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-3006940999875775772014-05-14T01:03:00.000-07:002014-05-14T01:03:00.746-07:00Profiting from growth in online Arabic content <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the number of active internet users among the world’s 630
million Arabic speakers grows and consumers in the Middle East demand more
relevant and locally produced original material, global online media leaders
like Google and CNN are investing substantially to boost Arabic‑language online
content.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CjWhjO5GsA8/U3Mg-XDNWDI/AAAAAAAAAUw/vdfSO9PKypI/s1600/Arab+internet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CjWhjO5GsA8/U3Mg-XDNWDI/AAAAAAAAAUw/vdfSO9PKypI/s1600/Arab+internet.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Launch of Arabic domain names will boost online content</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Peter Feuilherade</span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This article was first published in <a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/">The Middle East </a>magazine, London, May 2014 issue.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A report by the global consultancy Booz & Company
estimates that the number of active Arab internet users will rise to 13 million
by 2014, compared with 10 million in 2012. The study also reveals that around
37% of internet users in the MENA region are not satisfied with the
availability of Arabic websites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Google notes there has been a great improvement in Arabic
online content creation in the last two years. However, Arabic content still
comprises only about 3% of overall internet content, and there is “a huge gap
between the number of people who speak Arabic and the amount of content
available online,” according to Maha Abouelenein, head of communications at
Google for the MENA region.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CNN recorded a 70% increase in unique users and visitors to
its Arabic‑language portal, CNNArabic.com, during 2013. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Al‑Jazeera, MSN Arabia and BBC Arabic are also driving
growth in Arabic-language news content. Meanwhile internet giant Yahoo’s Middle
East portal, Yahoo Maktoob, has revamped both its Arabic and English content.
It promises extensive football coverage in the run‑up to this year’s FIFA World
Cup in Brazil, including exclusive analysis from Chelsea manager José Mourinho,
Yahoo’s “football ambassador” signing for 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The growth potential for content in Arabic is immense, and the
arrival and spread of Arabic domain names will be a major boost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first Arabic top-level domain name, meaning “web” and transcribed
in English as “shabaka”, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was approved
for use in March 2013 by California-based ICANN (the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers), the global authority which manages the world’s domain
names and IP numbers. Shabaka became generally available in February 2014, in
the anticipation that it will stimulate a new phase for Arabic content online.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">dotShabaka Registry is a Dubai-based internet technology
company behind the new domain name. Yasmin Omer, general manager of dotShabaka
Registry, explained that while previously search engine users had to type in
English and use web translation to get into Arabic websites, with the
introduction of .shabaka, they could now type in Arabic and get directly into
Arabic content. “There is no better way for businesses to demonstrate their
affiliation with the Arabic language online than by registering a domain
name," Omer told the Abu Dhabi newspaper The National.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the market for online content in Arabic expands, a
growing proportion of the content is appearing in video rather than text form.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to a March 2014 survey from Jordan-based
Startappz, an app developer and digital advertising agency, about 93% of the
videos produced in the Middle East are in Arabic. Technology and gaming, news,
music and comedy are all popular categories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Content producers on Google-owned YouTube are rushing to
meet the demand for Arabic content. With four billion views globally per day
and a billion unique visitors per month, YouTube launched its monetization
policy in 2013 in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. This allows users to earn
money from content uploaded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"We have 310 million views a day and have two hours of
video uploaded every minute and most of it is in Arabic," said Diana
Baddar, YouTube video partnerships manager for MENA. “We also have the second
largest presence in the MENA region after the US and have thousands of creators
creating content in Arabic, which is diverse and popular.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Top categories for videos produced in the Arabic language “are
across general entertainment like comedy, music and movies”, according to
Google.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although YouTube offers only visual content, the site could
be significant in adding to the overall online content in Arabic. “General Arabic
content, regardless of where it came, is a plus. It is the right step in
increasing Arabic content,” said Dr Fayeq Oweis, a language services manager
for Google.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But analysts point out that increasing digital content does
not simply mean creating more websites and mobile apps in Arabic. High-quality
content is also required from producers in ‘traditional’ industries such as
writers, film makers, game publishers and government bodies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Education and learning, information services, entertainment
and gaming, and social media are seen as among the most profitable sectors. A
report by the US market research firm Ambient Insight forecast that revenues
for self‑paced e‑learning products in the Middle East would reach US$ 560
million by 2016, with the public and private academic institutions comprising
the region’s biggest buyers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Another area to benefit from the expansion of Arabic content
is the Middle East’s e‑commerce market, in which the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
Qatar are the current leaders. A study by PayPal forecasts that e‑commerce
across the MENA region will grow to US$ 15 billion by 2015, with 10% of
transactions done via mobile devices. The Gulf has some of the highest rates of
smartphone penetration in the world, with the UAE close to 200%, closely followed
by Saudi Arabia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Annual revenue on smartphone applications in the Middle East
is predicted to reach more than US$ 200 million by 2015 as demand for Arabic‑language
applications increases.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In March 2014 the Dubai-based e‑commerce site Souq.com raised
US$ 75 million in funding from the South African media conglomerate Naspers. Souq
will invest part of this funding on developing its mobile technology, as its
founder and CEO Ronaldo Mouchawar is adamant that the high mobile penetration
rates in the GCC region are providing a major boost to e-commerce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The deal for a stake in Souq.com valued the company at more
than US$ 500 million. A Wall Street Journal commentator described it as
“another milestone for e-commerce in a region traditionally averse to
transacting online”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although the private sector has been the driving force
behind most Arabic content produced in the region, multimillion dollar projects
to expand electronic government (e‑government) have also created opportunities
for content developers. Again, the lead is coming from the GCC states. All six
member countries operate their own e‑government portal. They are now in
transition to the next stage, which will see the rapid expansion of the provision
of public services over smartphones and similar mobile devices.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally, another massive expansion of Arabic content is
expected to flow from the various “smart city” projects that have been launched
in the Gulf in recent years: six in Saudi Arabia, three in Qatar and two in the
UAE: Masdar City in Abu Dhabi and Smart City Dubai.</span></div>
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Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-70663723406727895112014-05-14T00:49:00.000-07:002014-05-14T00:49:53.381-07:00New inter-city trains herald rail renaissance for Iraq<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Investment in new
Chinese-made inter-city trains, as well as modern train control and
communication systems, signal the Iraqi government’s intention to rebuild the once
impressive state‑run railways.</i></span>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chinese-made train for Baghdad-Basra route</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">By Peter Feuilherade</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This article was first published in <a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/">The Middle East </a>magazine, London, May 2014 issue.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2014 marks the centenary of Iraq’s railway network. German
engineers laid the foundations during the Ottoman Empire in 1912, as part of
the planned Berlin-Istanbul-Baghdad Railway. The line was completed in 1914, connecting
Baghdad with the town of Dujayl, 60 km to the north. By the late 1990s, the
network was handling some three million tonnes of freight and 2.8 million
passenger journeys a year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now Iraq’s railways, like much of the transport
infrastructure, are dilapidated after decades of neglect and war, and in urgent
need of repair and expansion. Most freight is transported by road.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The assets of Iraqi Republic Railways (IRR), owned and
operated by the government, include about 2,850 km of track, some 127 stations,
131 locomotives and 1,900 units of rolling stock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Several lines are still in use, from Baghdad to Basra,
Samarra and Fallujah, and Mosul to Rabia, among others, providing a mix of
passenger and freight services. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Upgrading the network and restoring other lines are
priorities in the government’s reconstruction efforts. However, railway company
officials cited by Reuters news agency admitted in 2013 that the volumes of
passengers and freight carried did not generate enough income to cover
employees' salaries, let alone revamp the network.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The delivery of the first of a fleet of 10 Chinese-made
inter-city trains in February 2014 marked a major step forward in the plan to
restore and develop Iraq’s national railway system. The contract is worth US$
115 million, and each train will comprise two diesel power cars and eight steel
bodied trailers. The trains will run on the Baghdad-Basra route at speeds of up
to 160 km/h. They will have a capacity of 343 passengers in air-conditioned
seated and sleeping accommodation, with catering facilities and on-board
entertainment. The trains have been designed to function in the high
temperatures and wind-blown dust of Iraq’s desert environment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In 2012 IRR finished building a 32 km line between Mussayab,
south of Baghdad, and the holy city of Karbala to transport hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims during Shi’i religious festivals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The company has also invested US$ 60 million in a state of
the art computer based train control and microwave communication system.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Regional transit hub</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">IRR plans to rehabilitate some 300 km of railways in central
and southern Iraq, build other lines in major cities to link them to the
national network, and construct a metro system with 14 stations in Baghdad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iraq also aspires to become a transit hub for goods that
would be shipped from Asia to Iraq's neighbours and beyond, by connecting to
the planned US$ 16 billion GCC railway network (due for completion in 2018), transporting
freight to Europe via Turkey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A vast project under way at the port of Faw in southern Iraq
is seen as having global strategic significance. Planned rail routes will take
freight from Asia, via Faw and other Iraq ports, through Zakho in Iraqi
Kurdistan and on to Europe via Turkey, bypassing the Suez Canal and reinforcing
the importance of the Middle East as a major hub of international commerce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On a regional level, negotiations continue intermittently to
establish rail links with other neighbours like Turkey, Jordan and Iran. The
expansion of Jordan’s container terminal at the port of Aqaba includes plans
for direct rail access to Iraq. A new line is also planned from Basra to
Khorramshahr in Iran’s Khuzestan province.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Iraqi Republic Railways estimates that if its planned rail
projects were completed at an estimated grand total of more than US$ 60 billion,
some 25 million tons of goods could eventually pass through Iraq every year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, specific funding has yet to be committed, and
financing on such a large scale is unlikely for the time being. In recent years
annual allocations by the government for railway projects have not exceeded US$
200 million.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nevertheless, Iraq's economy is growing strongly as it has
the world fourth largest oil reserves and is one of the fastest-growing suppliers
to global oil markets. The International Monetary Fund expects oil exports to
increase to US$ 152 billion in 2018, while according to the Economist
Intelligence Unit, Iraq’s economic growth will be over 9% on average in 2014-18.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But while in the long term Iraq could well afford to spend
the billions of dollars required to revamp its railways, other problems need to
be overcome before the rail sector can flourish again. Many traders prefer to
transport their goods using private road haulage companies, who offer door‑to‑door
services while most train stations are far from city centres. And the volatile security
situation in parts of Iraq makes foreign companies wary of signing up to joint
rail ventures </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Future spending on railway reconstruction and development in
Iraq is likely to be far lower than the hundreds of billions of dollars that its
GCC neighbours are investing in an integrated railway network as well as light
rail and urban metro projects, as they diversify their economies away from oil
and gas and also position themselves as regional transport hubs. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But project opportunities in Iraq’s rail sector could still add
up to dozens of billions of dollars. As well as the supply of track, rolling
stock, signalling and maintenance equipment, “investment in supporting
facilities such as inter-modal container terminals and corporatization of
operations under a unified management contract continue to be areas of interest
for Iraq’s rail system,” according to a 2013 US government guide to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doing Business in Iraq</i>.</span></div>
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Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-22461751286435397472014-05-14T00:23:00.000-07:002014-05-14T00:23:07.086-07:00Personal systems herald "smart mobility"<h2 class="etech" style="padding-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">New systems will introduce personalized modes of transport in urban areas</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><div class="etech_intro">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Automated or "self-driving" personal
transport systems are no longer the preserve of science fiction. They
are now up and running at several locations around the world. IEC
standardization work will prove instrumental in the expansion of systems
that use innovative pod-type vehicles as well as for two- and
three-wheeled "personal transporters".</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Peter Feuilherade</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeafDTV7FQM/U3MXeef3dgI/AAAAAAAAAUA/xfxvwfzqoco/s1600/heathrow+pod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jeafDTV7FQM/U3MXeef3dgI/AAAAAAAAAUA/xfxvwfzqoco/s1600/heathrow+pod.jpg" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Driverless pod in service at Heathrow airport</i></span><br /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>This article first appeared in the <a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2014/etech_0314/ind-1.htm">March 2014 issue </a>of
<a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech">e-tech</a>, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC), Geneva</strong></em> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personal, rapid, clean and safe</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Small self-driving electric powered
vehicles running on dedicated guideways and designed for on-demand use
by individuals or small groups, typically four to six passengers, are
often referred to as PRTs (personal rapid transit systems). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PRTs are intended to combine the convenience and privacy of
cars with the environmental benefits of mass transit. Their primary aims
are to achieve optimum door to door mobility, improve safety, reduce
environmental impact and lower operational costs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They are part of the advance towards a new era of "smart
mobility" in which infrastructure, methods of short distance transport,
passengers and goods will be increasingly interconnected, especially in
urban areas. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">PRTs operate on networks of specially built guideways, with
traffic controlled by a central computer to eliminate collisions and
minimize congestion. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They are usually powered by onboard batteries recharged at
stops, and guided by GPS (Global Positioning System) to destinations
selected on touchscreens. Conventional steering can be used on a simple
track consisting only of a road surface with some form of reference for
the vehicle's steering sensors. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The oldest system similar to a PRT has been in operation
since 1975 in the US city of Morgantown, West Virginia. Comprising cars
which hold about 20 passengers and run on a ground-mounted rail, it is
more properly described as "Group Rapid Transit". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pod systems in operation </span></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNwyb5Riprg/U3MXzh9ZWiI/AAAAAAAAAUI/iw8uTvTMy0Q/s1600/Masdar+pod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oNwyb5Riprg/U3MXzh9ZWiI/AAAAAAAAAUI/iw8uTvTMy0Q/s1600/Masdar+pod.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Driverless electric pods used in Masdar City</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Worldwide there are currently two fully operational PRT systems: at <a href="http://www.heathrowairport.com/" target="_blank">Heathrow Airport</a> near London and <a href="http://masdarcity.ae/en/" target="_blank">Masdar City</a> near Abu Dhabi, UAE (United Arab Emirates). </span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The driverless pod service at Heathrow, operated by UK company <a href="http://www.ultraglobalprt.com/" target="_blank">Ultra Global</a>,
was launched in May 2011. The system comprises 21 pods running at a
maximum speed of 40 kph along guideways on a 3,9 km route between
Terminal 5 and a business car park; up to 100-120 vehicles can be
dispatched every hour. </span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pods are powered by electric motors and use Lithium ion
(Li-ion) batteries which recharge when parked at stations, bypassing the
need for electrification along the track. The batteries provide an
average 2 kW of motive power, and add only 8% to the gross weight of the
vehicle. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pods have onboard computers and are guided by laser
sensors. Passenger information is updated on LCD screens in the pods,
and a wireless communication system allows for two-way exchange of data
and commands between vehicles and central control. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Passenger safety measures include continuous CCTV and black
box monitoring of all pods; an independent "Automatic Vehicle
Protection" system that protects against pod collision on the guideway;
safety interlocks between the brakes, motor and doors; and emergency
exits, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers fitted in all pods. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A complete pod system like the one at Heathrow, including
guideway, stations, vehicles and control systems costs somewhere between
USD 7 million and USD 15 million per km to construct, according to the
system's operators. They say the pods have saved over 200 tonnes of <span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">CO<sub>2</sub></span> per annum and reduced the number of bus journeys on the airport's roads by 70 000 a year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Heathrow Airport Limited’s business plan for 2014-2019
includes plans for another PRT system linking Terminals 2 and 3 to their
respective business car parks. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As part of a GBP 75 million UK government scheme to enable
businesses to make and test low carbon technologies, trials of
driverless cars will start in Milton Keynes, a so-called "new" town 80
km north of London which was built on a "grid plan" in the 1960s. </span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The specific technology has not yet been announced but plans
are for an initial batch of 20 driver-operated pods able to carry two
passengers to enter service in 2015, followed in 2017 by 100 fully
autonomous (driverless) pods that will run on pathways alongside but
separated from pedestrian areas. The vehicles will be able to travel at
up to 19 kph and will be equipped with onboard sensors that will enable
them to detect and respond to obstacles. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The driverless electric pods used in Masdar City near Abu
Dhabi have carried more than 820 000 passengers since the system,
designed by Dutch company <a href="http://www.2getthere.eu/" target="_blank">2getthere</a>, was launched in November 2010. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Masdar City is an initiative by the UAE government to build a
new small city based on renewable energy and developed around green
technologies, including public transport </span><br />
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The pods run at 25 kph and are powered by lithium phosphate
batteries, which are charged using solar energy. They travel on tracks
equipped with embedded magnets placed every 5 m which the vehicle uses,
along with information about wheel angles and speed, to determine its
location. Pods designed to carry freight also operate at the site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feasibility tests in other countries</span></h3>
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</span><div align="left">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other countries examining the feasibility of PRT
systems include Taiwan and Brazil. In Florianopolis, a provincial
Brazilian city in which large parts of the city are laid out on a
coastal island while the remainder of the city is on the mainland, car
traffic between the two is served by a single bridge, leading to peak
time bottlenecks. The local authorities are mulling over using PRT as a
local distribution network within the dense central business district
situated on the island, as part of a multimodal transport proposal that
would include ferries and monorail. </span></div>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Singapore, <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/index.aspx" target="_blank">NTU</a> (Nanyang Technological University) and French company <a href="http://induct-technology.com/en/" target="_blank">Induct Technology</a>
are collaborating on tests of a driverless electric shuttle vehicle
powered by lithium polymer batteries and capable of carrying 8
passengers at a maximum speed of 20 kph. The vehicle uses laser mapping
and sensors to manoeuvre, runs on a predefined route and recharges at
docking stations. It serves as a testbed for new charging technologies
such as wireless induction and new super capacitors for electric
vehicles. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Other personal urban mobility prototype vehicles have been
demonstrated in recent years but never put into production. They include
self-driving pods unveiled by the US multinational General Motors
Company in 2010. Powered by electric motors and with a range of 65 km,
the two-seater vehicles were crammed with technology including roof
mounted GPS, Wi-Fi, vehicle to vehicle communication systems,
front-mounted ultrasonic and vision systems and collision avoidance
sensors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">IEC makes safety top priority</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The top priority in the operation of automated
public transport networks is to ensure provision of the highest levels
of safety while not restricting the introduction of new technology. Such
networks depend heavily on computer-based management, control and
communication systems. </span></div>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The IEC TCs (Technical Committees) whose activities cover
automated public transport systems and personal transport pods include <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1248">TC 9</a>: Electrical equipment and systems for railways, <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1290">TC 21</a>: Secondary cells and batteries, and <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1251">TC 47</a>: Semiconductor devices, and its SCs (Subcommittees). </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TC 9: Electrical equipment and systems for railways, is
responsible for International Standards relating to the systems, power
components and electronic hardware and software used in fully automatic
transport systems operating in the wider context of urban rail and metro
transport (<a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2014/etech_0314/tc-1.htm">see article</a> on TC 9 in this <em>e-tech</em>).
This includes safety aspects such as passenger alarm systems and
automatic system surveillance. TC 9 works in liaison with other relevant
IEC TCs, for example, coordinating with <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1255">TC 69</a>:
Electric road vehicles and electric industrial trucks, on the
development of double-layer capacitors for energy storage, and with <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1270">TC 56</a>:
Dependabilty, which covers the reliability of electronic components
and equipment and is included as a characteristic of quality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TC 21: Secondary cells and batteries, prepares International
Standards for all secondary cells and batteries. This covers the
performance, dimensions, safety installation principles and labelling of
batteries used in electric vehicles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TC 47 and its SCs prepare International Standards for
semiconductor devices used in sensors and MEMS (micro-electromechanical
systems) installed in personal transport systems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Driverless vehicles approaching</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><div align="left">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Existing PRT networks, albeit
small-scale, combine the advantages of flexibility in terms of planning
available with individual means of transport with those of urban public
transport systems. They have proved safe, reliable and environmentally
friendly and offer a feasible public transport option for tourist
attractions, business parks, hospitals and university campuses. They
could also be one way forward for "last mile" solutions in urban
environments, although the density of traffic in cities would pose more
complex and diverse challenges than, for example, in an airport setting.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Consumers would pay a fraction of the cost of buying and
running an individual car, while building dedicated trackways would be
much cheaper than the cost of most traditional transport infrastructure.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the Heathrow system's operator told <em>e-tech</em> in an
interview, "an innovative and now proven technology that responds to
patrons' desire for on-demand, direct and personal transport should be
seen not only as a viable but altogether a more economically, socially
and environmentally beneficial alternative to conventional forms of
public transport". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The wider significance of driverless pod networks is that
they are part of a long term trend in the car industry to develop
autonomous vehicle control systems equipped with a combination of
sensors and dedicated software for the personal mobility sector. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tests on autonomous cars have already begun. As well as the
Milton Keynes trial set for 2015, NTU in Singapore has tested a
driverless electric vehicle on a 2 km shuttle route, while autonomous
electric cars have also been tested on roads in Japan. In the US, the
technology giant Google has been licensed to experiment with driverless
vehicles, and says that in tests its cars have logged about 500 000 km
without an accident. And in 2017 the Swedish city of Gothenburg will
start a pilot project with 100 cars and 100 regular drivers who will
manually drive cars to roads where they then join road trains and switch
to autonomous driving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Software will be crucial to autonomous travel, not only to
calculate a vehicle's position and route from a constant stream of
incoming data, but also to react to unforeseen obstacles. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, it could be decades before passenger cars driving
autonomously win consumer and government acceptance to reach the mass
market. One way to help promote autonomous driving would be to
incorporate technologies such as coordinated traffic lights and smart
parking systems in the design of smart cities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The US based market research and consulting firm Navigant Research <a href="http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/autonomous-vehicles-will-surpass-95-million-in-annual-sales-by-2035" target="_blank">forecast</a>
in August 2013 that sales of autonomous vehicles would rise from fewer
than 8 000 annually in 2020 to 95,4 million in 2035, representing 75% of
all light duty vehicle sales by that time. In addition to advanced
driver assistance features now available in some vehicles, such as
adaptive speed control, automatic emergency braking and lane departure
warning, new features that could assume control of more aspects of
driving would be introduced gradually, Navigant predicted. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"The first features will most likely be self-parking, traffic
jam assistance, and freeway cruising – well-defined situations that
lend themselves to control by upgraded versions of today’s onboard
systems", said David Alexander, senior research analyst at Navigant
Research.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personal transporters - flexible use for multiple applications</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></h3>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYcMVld98hY/U3MYagGgDaI/AAAAAAAAAUU/Ql6qZxpGR9E/s1600/Segway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nYcMVld98hY/U3MYagGgDaI/AAAAAAAAAUU/Ql6qZxpGR9E/s1600/Segway.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <i>Personal transporters can be used for indoor, sidewalk, cross-terrain and patrol use</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Electric stand-up personal transporters (like <a href="http://www.segway.com/" target="_blank">Segways</a> and their one or two-wheeled derivatives, or alternative machines such as <a href="http://www.roboscooters.com/" target="_blank">Roboscooters</a>) are devices that are controlled by the body movements of the driver and are equipped with self balancing mechanisms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They are also available as personal scooters in
three-wheeled configurations, which offer greater stability and the
option of riding seated on larger models. These vehicles are generally
powered by Li-ion batteries, removable on some models to allow longer
operational cycles. Some versions may include regenerative braking
capability, allowing batteries to recharge during deceleration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stability is maintained using a combination of
computers, tilt sensors, gyroscopic sensors and motors that rotate the
wheels forwards or backwards as required for balance or propulsion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Personal transporters target the individual consumer
market for urban commuting or leisure, as well as corporate users
including police forces, security firms, ports and airports, factories,
shopping centres, campuses, sports stadiums and amusement parks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Manufacturers in the US estimate the operating costs of three-wheelers used in police patrol duty to be around USD 0,10 per day.</span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-73862027036817730022014-05-14T00:04:00.000-07:002014-05-14T00:04:53.973-07:00Middle East healthcare spending surges as demand soars<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Healthcare is a major growth area
in the Middle East, with public and private investment in the sector forecast
to exceed US $150 billion in 2016. In the GCC in particular, governments are allocating
ever‑increasing budget shares to healthcare, to meet soaring demand fuelled by high
population growth rates, longer life expectancy and the extension of compulsory
health insurance, as well as the spread of lifestyle diseases and chronic
illness. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVIvQtj9f7A/U3MTVJgDbKI/AAAAAAAAATs/_cCEMv1nVU8/s1600/Jiddah+hospital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KVIvQtj9f7A/U3MTVJgDbKI/AAAAAAAAATs/_cCEMv1nVU8/s1600/Jiddah+hospital.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Private hospital in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia</i></span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><em>By Peter Feuilherade</em></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: purple;">
<span><em>
</em></span></span><br />
<em><span></span></em><br />
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span><em>This article was first published in </em></span><a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/"><span><em>The Middle East </em></span></a><span><em>magazine, London, April 2014 issue</em></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Former British health minister Lord Darzi, a keynote speaker at the
January 2014 Arab Health Exhibition in Dubai, noted that the Middle East has
some of the highest per capita levels of obesity and associated chronic illness
like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “It has a rapidly changing
demography, both in terms of population growth and an increasing life
expectancy. These are necessitating an increased level of spending on
healthcare and the rapid expansion of provision. There is also a heavy reliance
on imported human and material healthcare resources; and a significant level of
overseas spending on healthcare due to a lack of local specialist healthcare
provision,” he added.</span></span></div>
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technology providers like General Electric Healthcare and Philips, whose US and
European sales have dipped because of budget constraints, are hopeful of
double-digit percentage growth in the Middle East, not just in the established
markets of the GCC but also in <span>emerging or post‑conflict
markets</span> like Iraq.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Across the Middle East</span> and North
Africa (MENA) region<span>, non-communicable
diseases like obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are widespread,
while smoking‑related respiratory diseases are on the increase. The scale of
the health challenges is vast. Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 45% of
deaths in the Middle East; four </span>GCC countries are in the global top 20
for obesity; and there is a <span>high and rising
incidence of major depressive disorders and anxiety.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>A September 2013 survey by the World Bank
and the Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation found that
“potentially preventable risk factors such as poor diets, high blood pressure,
high body mass index (an indicator of obesity and overweight), and smoking are
contributing to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in the region.”
Another factor is lack of exercise, particularly among women.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>At the same time, poorer Middle East countries,
including Iraq, Yemen and Djibouti, continue to struggle with a high level of communicable
diseases, while the </span>outbreak of polio in Syria has prompted a massive
immunization campaign across the Middle East.</span></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saudi “bonanza” for foreign firms</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">GCC governments are making
significant investments to meet growing demand for healthcare and bring the
sector up to international standards. <span>Saudi
Arabia, whose economy and population make up approximately half that of the GCC
states collectively, is seen as leading the way. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Total healthcare expenditure in
the six GCC states is expected to rise to US $79.2 billion by 2015, while the
GCC’s combined pharmaceutical and healthcare market is set to exceed US $133
billion in 2018, according to the Frost & Sullivan business consultancy. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although GCC healthcare spending
is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.4% until
2015, a shortage of medical graduates and other skilled staff is making
countries heavily dependent on expatriates to fill healthcare jobs and poses a
big challenge to be tackled, global consultants Ernst & Young note. </span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bi07AG7m-4/U3MT0qjgvWI/AAAAAAAAAT0/GsaJfEL8RgQ/s1600/Medical-Staff-Jobs-for-Private-Hospital-in-Saudi-Arabia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1bi07AG7m-4/U3MT0qjgvWI/AAAAAAAAAT0/GsaJfEL8RgQ/s1600/Medical-Staff-Jobs-for-Private-Hospital-in-Saudi-Arabia.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Recruitment ad for Saudi private hospital</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A growing number of GCC
governments are also enforcing mandatory medical insurance.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In response to discontent about
overcrowded hospitals and shortages of medicine, healthcare infrastructure in
Saudi Arabia is accelerating at a rapid rate, funded by an annual healthcare
budget of US $27 billion. Stock market listings planned by two of the Kingdom’s
biggest private hospital operators reflect the boom in its healthcare industry.
Several new healthcare cities<span> are under
construction, and the number of hospitals is expected to increase by more than 100
within the next three to five years. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">According to Reuters, “this could
make Saudi Arabia the world’s fastest-growing major healthcare market over the
next few years, helping to diversify the economy beyond oil and providing a
bonanza to foreign companies selling medicines, equipment and services.”</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>In
the UAE, Dubai’s recent move to make health insurance mandatory for all workers
would be a </span>catalyst for private investment in the emirate’s healthcare
sector, in the same way that a similar law in Abu Dhabi was in 2005, said Michael
Bitzer, CEO of Daman, the UAE’s largest health insurer with over 2.4 million
subscribers.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The law will make employers
responsible for providing at least an “essential benefits package” for every
worker and will come into effect in several phases by 2016, said the Dubai
Health Authority. The government will remain responsible for the coverage of
local citizens, who are estimated to make up less than a fifth of the
population. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The UAE’s
healthcare budget is around US $12bn, and spending on healthcare as a
percentage of GDP is the third highest in the Gulf at around 3.3%, after
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. About 36% of UAE hospitals are owned and operated by
the Ministry of Health, while the private sector catered to 64% of the whole
population in 2011.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>According to the Oxford Business Group, medical
tourism in Dubai looks set to grow beyond the US $1.69 billion in revenue
earned in 2012, and a number of health and pharmaceutical groups are eyeing
Dubai as a regional centre, owing to its well-developed transport and
communication links and continuing advances in technology and research. </span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Qatar is set to launch the second
phase of its compulsory health insurance scheme in April 2014, when all Qatari
citizens will be brought under the new system. And Oman, which built its last
major hospital 20 years ago, plans to open the first phase of a US $1 billion
International Medical City in Salalah in 2016. A population expanding at 4% a
year is putting increasing strain on healthcare in the Sultanate, despite a 32%
increase in the sector’s budget from 2012 to 2013. </span></span></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Strong returns” for private equity </span></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The growing number of mandatory health insurance
programmes in the GCC is increasing reliance on the private healthcare sector.
Across the wider </span>MENA market, private equity firms see significant room
for expansion, particularly in services such as long-term care, specialized
care and rehabilitation. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Experienced private equity investors know that the MENA healthcare
sector presents significant opportunities and strong returns for those who can
get the balance right, by bringing international experience and global insight
to the local market,” argues Dr Helmut M. Schuehsler, chairman of TVM Capital
Group, a European private equity fund. He points out that because individuals
from the MENA region spend US $15 billion a year travelling abroad for medical
care, “governments and private companies will both benefit from providing more
focused, high quality care locally”.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">To meet rising expectations across the Middle East <span>for expanded and better quality health services
that are on a par with international standards, expenditure on healthcare as a
percentage of GDP will need to be raised further. Training local doctors and
medical staff and establishing research and clinical trial centres in the
region should also become a top priority.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-51640144510642000982014-05-13T23:44:00.000-07:002014-05-13T23:44:38.423-07:00Going green: cutting costs with smart buildings<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By 2050, according to current forecasts, about 6,3 billion people,
comprising nearly 70% of the world's population, will be living in
cities. This great surge of urbanization and the rise of megacities,
each with a population greater than 10 million, will occur mostly in
developing countries and boost demand for smart buildings and housing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: purple;"><em><strong>By Peter Feuilherade</strong></em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9kMHfFEDHI/U3MOrxFY1TI/AAAAAAAAATY/OpU6vSrPljc/s1600/tech-2_lusail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e9kMHfFEDHI/U3MOrxFY1TI/AAAAAAAAATY/OpU6vSrPljc/s1600/tech-2_lusail.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Smart buildings in Lusail City, Qatar</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<hr />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>This article first appeared in the <a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2013/etech_1113/tech-2.htm">November 2013 issue </a>of
<a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech">e-tech</a>, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC), Geneva.</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Evolving concept</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The concept of a smart (or intelligent) building has evolved
over the last four decades and now generally refers to the integration
of a range of systems that improve the lifestyles of a building’s
occupants and the efficiency of its operations, especially its
consumption of energy and other utilities. The automation of building
operations, management and maintenance is integral to the concept.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
In the words of the US-based <a href="http://www.institutebe.com/" target="_blank">Institute for Building Efficiency</a>,
"at the most fundamental level, smart buildings deliver useful
building services that make occupants productive (e.g. illumination,
thermal comfort, air quality, physical security, sanitation, and many
more) at the lowest cost and environmental impact over the building
lifecycle."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Smart buildings are often, but not exclusively, associated
with the smart city, a term originally used to signify the roles of
technology and innovation in urban development, but now increasingly
linked with achieving sustainability. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wide range of features </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Achieving a smart building's aims, for economic and
environmental reasons, involves the use of a wide range of features
including adaptive lighting with occupancy sensing; smart meters that
display overall use of electricity and help consumers to monitor and
reduce their usage; sensors that gather and wirelessly communicate
alerts or data about heat, light, movement and use of space; and the
exchange of data between different systems. The cost of wireless
sensors has dropped below USD 10 per unit and makes the installation of
a smart building management system increasingly affordable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
With commercial buildings accounting for 40% of global energy
consumption and contributing 20% of the carbon emissions, BEMS
(building energy management systems) can help minimize energy use and
cost. Smart buildings play a vital role in the effectiveness of Smart
Grids, by helping to align energy generation with energy consumption.
Buildings can receive requests to reduce demand when wholesale prices
are high or when grid reliability is jeopardized. A smart building
management system can also usually detect when an item of equipment is
close to failure and alert staff to deal with the problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The main forces driving the smart building market are the
ability to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, cut maintenance and
operating costs and enhance the life of the building as well as
improving the comfort and security of its occupants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Asia and Middle East lead</span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNlCx834cBU/U3MPB-KU-DI/AAAAAAAAATg/VB751qJqLFc/s1600/tech-2_masdar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XNlCx834cBU/U3MPB-KU-DI/AAAAAAAAATg/VB751qJqLFc/s1600/tech-2_masdar.jpg" /></a></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Central courtyard and windtower at the Masdar Institute, Abu Dhabi, </i>UAE</span><h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></h3>
<h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Although Europe and North America pioneered smart cities in
the 1980s-90s, more smart buildings are now being built from scratch in
the Middle East and even more so in Asia, with its soaring rates of
urbanization. </span></span></span></h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
Smart buildings can be found in smart city projects such as <a href="http://masdarcity.ae/en/" target="_blank">Masdar City</a> in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), <a href="http://www.lusail.com/English/Pages/English_Home.aspx" target="_blank">Lusail City</a> in Qatar, <a href="http://www.kaec.net/" target="_blank">King Abdullah Economic City</a> in Saudi Arabia, <a href="http://www.songdo.com/" target="_blank">Songdo</a> in South Korea and <a href="http://panasonic.net/es/solution-works/fujisawa/" target="_blank">Fujisawa</a>
in Japan. In China, the government has planned more than 600 smart city
projects during its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), with an emphasis
on water and energy infrastructure, energy-efficient buildings and
traffic management. Asia’s dynamic construction activity is expected to
bolster its current share (25%) of the global market for building
automation systems and controls, BEMS (20%) and intelligent lighting
controls (17%). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Middle East, despite enjoying low energy costs, is also a
prolific source of progressive smart building design. Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and the UAE allocated more than USD 63 billion to develop smart
city projects between 2012 and 2017. The aim of the developers of the
USD 22 billion project in Masdar City, 17 km from Abu Dhabi, is to
create the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, with the emphasis
on energy efficiency.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 align="left" class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Huge developing market </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The US-based market research and consulting firm <a href="http://www.navigantresearch.com/" target="_blank">Navigant Research</a>
forecast in July 2013 that the worldwide market for BEMS, driven by
technology advances as well as growing familiarity among customers with
the benefits they bring, will grow from just under USD 1,8 billion in
annual revenues in 2012 to nearly USD 5,6 billion in 2020, a CAGR
(compound annual growth rate) of 15,3%. The market will be concentrated
in North America and Europe, although the Asia-Pacific market is where
growth is fastest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Meanwhile, global revenues from wireless control systems for
building automation will reach USD 294,8 million by 2020, when annual
worldwide shipments of wireless nodes for building controls will total
36 million units. And global revenues from networked lighting control
equipment within commercial buildings will grow from USD 1,7 billion in
2013 to USD 5,3 billion in 2020.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
According to Navigant, the trillions of dollars that will be
spent on urban infrastructure present "an immense opportunity for new
transport management systems, Smart Grids, water monitoring systems,
and energy efficient buildings". </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
The smart buildings market, along with other "smart" sectors
such as energy, water and transport, is a major contributor to the
worldwide growth of the overall smart cities market.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
A forecast by the US company <a href="http://www.idc.com/prodserv/insights/energy/index.jsp" target="_blank">IDC Energy Insights</a>
estimates that global spending on smart building technologies alone
will grow from USD 5,5 billion in 2012 to USD 18,1 billion in 2017 (a
CAGR of 27,1%). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Global technology research firm <a href="http://onworld.com/" target="_blank">ON World </a>predicted
in September 2013 that 100 million WSN (Wireless Sensor Network)
devices would be installed in non-residential smart buildings globally
by 2019, an 11-fold increase from 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Energy and electricity are key</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The IEC develops International Standards covering a broad
range of systems, equipment and applications used in the construction
and maintenance of smart buildings, encompassing lighting, automation,
access control, energy systems, appliances, elevators and escalators,
among others. The work of IEC TCs (Technical Committees) plays a vital
role in helping to ensure safety as well as interoperability.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Some of the IEC TCs working in the smart buildings sector include <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1235">TC 34</a>: Lamps and related equipment for general, professional and emergency lighting; <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1275">TC 59</a>: Performance of household and similar electrical appliances; <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1276">TC 82</a>: Solar photovoltaic energy systems; <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1251">TC 47</a>: Semiconductor devices; and <a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1259">TC 72</a>: Automatic electrical controls.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
For Smart Grid applications, the IEC published a Smart Grid
Standardization Roadmap in 2010 and has defined a range of Standards,
among them Standards for substation control (<a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/mysearchajax?Openform&key=61850&sorting=&start=1&onglet=1">IEC 61850</a>), energy (<a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/mysearchajax?Openform&key=61970&sorting=&start=1&onglet=1">IEC 61970</a>) and distribution management (<a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/mysearchajax?Openform&key=61968&sorting=&start=1&onglet=1">IEC 61968</a>) and meter reading (<a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/mysearchajax?Openform&key=62056&sorting=&start=1&onglet=1">IEC 62056</a>).
The CIM (Common Information Model) for Distribution and Energy
Management provides a CIM necessary for exchanges of data between
devices and networks, primarily in the transmission (IEC 61970) and
distribution (IEC 61968) domains, and is a cornerstone of IEC Smart
Grid standardization. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><h3 class="etech">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Integration and interoperability of smart building technologies</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Smart building technologies such as wireless sensors are
becoming increasingly interoperable. Several technologies are
converging in building controls that will, for example, allow light
sources to carry out a dual role as sensors and information nodes too
in a distributed network, managing heat, air conditioning, and building
security as well as office lighting. Cloud-based technology will have
a growing impact on how intelligent buildings are run, linking them
with power grids and multimodal transport systems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
There is a strong business case for strategic investments in
smart building technologies which help to reduce facility operating
costs over time. However, some property owners and investors still need
persuading. In the view of Leo O'Loughlin, senior vice-president of <a href="http://www.jll.com/" target="_blank">Jones Lang LaSalle</a>’s
energy and sustainability services business, "not everyone is aware
that the tremendous advantages of today’s affordable smart building
management technologies easily justify the cost".</span><br />
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-2529114564424838172014-01-11T03:21:00.000-08:002014-01-11T03:21:04.703-08:00GCC plans shared water network
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Across the Middle East and North Africa, ensuring a reliable
supply of water is a top priority, as demand soars from both rapidly growing
populations and water-intensive industries in the world’s most water‑scarce
region.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WA1o_b7ze6Y/UtEoDVPU4BI/AAAAAAAAAQg/C7gwSdVdHq8/s1600/desalination%2520plant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WA1o_b7ze6Y/UtEoDVPU4BI/AAAAAAAAAQg/C7gwSdVdHq8/s1600/desalination%2520plant.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><em>Desalination plant</em></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>By Peter Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></em></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><em>
</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: large;"></span></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>This article was first published in </em></span><a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Middle East </em></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><em>magazine, London, December 2013 issue</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Across the Middle East and North Africa, ensuring a reliable
supply of water is a top priority, as demand soars from both rapidly growing
populations and water-intensive industries in the world’s most water‑scarce
region. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Figures from the World Bank in 2012 showed a decline in per capita
renewable water resources from over 3,000 cubic metres/year in the 1950s to
around 715 in 2011, which is below the World Health Organization's water
poverty threshold of 1,000 cubic metres/year per capita.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The projected impacts of climate change on future water
availability in the MENA region are not favourable, with some countries
expected to experience up to 40% decreases in precipitation and runoff by the
end of the 21st century. "Ever-increasing water demand - coupled with
rapid population and economic growth - will likely add to the region’s water
stress and pose serious challenges to the region’s future development prospects,"
the World Bank argues.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The rate of water extraction is also far greater than
natural replenishment. The Abu Dhabi‑based Arab Water Academy estimates the
collective water shortage of 17 Arab countries at over 30 billion cubic metres,
a deficit which is expected to triple by 2030 and increase to over 150 billion
cubic metres by 2050.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) intends to complete a
common regional water network by 2020, as part of efforts to address rising population
growth in the Gulf region over the next three decades,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Four of the six GCC states - Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia - are ranked as the most heavily affected by water scarcity in the
world. According to the global management consulting firm Booz & Company,
Saudi Arabia and the UAE respectively consume 91% and 83% more water per capita
than the global average, while Qatar and Oman also use more than the global
average.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, the GCC countries, in the words of a recent report
by the Oxford Business Group (OBG), "are in the unique position of being
able to leverage their considerable wealth to invest in developing technologies
and innovations with the aim of gaining a competitive advantage in the global
water sector".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most of the GCC's water supplies come from desalination. As
the OBG report notes, the GCC already accounts for 57% of the world's
desalination capacity, and GCC countries plan to invest more than 100 billion
dollars between 2011 and 2016 to develop more efficient desalination
technologies, wastewater recycling and building water treatment facilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Regional water
network<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The GCC is conducting technical studies in the Saudi capital
Riyadh, eastern Saudi Arabia and northern Oman as part of plans to build a regional
water network. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The total cost of building the network is estimated at 10.5
billion dollars - 3 billion to build desalination plants and 7.5 billion for
pipelines, pumping stations and reservoirs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Oman, environmental impact assessments will also be
carried out to identify the best places to build desalination plants in Sohar, the
sultanate's industrial hub 200 km north of Muscat, and Al Ashkharah, on the
Arabian Sea. Oman also plans to build strategic water storage reservoirs in
Muscat to avert a crisis if desalination plants are disrupted. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Other GCC water projects in the next few years will see Saudi
Arabia complete the world’s largest desalination plant in Ras al-Khair on the Persian
Gulf. Abu Dhabi will add more than 30 million gallons per day of desalination
capacity to its water network following a green light for a power and water
plant extension at Mirfa. And Kuwait is constructing two reverse osmosis
desalination plants that will produce nearly 50 million gallons of water per
day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">High price of
desalination<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Desalination, however, carries enormous economic and
environmental costs. Despite efficiency improving more than fivefold since
1979, to desalinate a cubic metre of seawater costs one dollar, making it a
relatively expensive way of producing potable water. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The desalination process also discharges salt back into the
Arabian Gulf and other oceanic sources, jeopardizing their marine life and
introducing new environmental risks, the Booz & Company study said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Seawater desalination is an energy-intensive process,
consuming eight times more energy than groundwater projects, and accounting for
between 10% and 25% of energy consumption in the GCC. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The current almost total reliance on fossil fuels for water
desalination is not sustainable - Saudi Arabia alone uses 1.5 million barrels
of oil per day in its plants. This adds to the problems of energy intensity
already plaguing the region. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many of the problems related to desalination could be
reduced by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. This would cut
the cost of energy consumption, which accounts for 30‑50% of total water
desalination costs. A gigawatt of energy produced by oil and gas generates 700
and 460 tonnes of carbon dioxide respectively. The same amount of energy
produced by solar energy (concentrated solar power – CSP) releases just 17 tonnes
of carbon dioxide, according to Dr Asma El Kasmi, director of the Arab Water
Academy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Her views mesh with those of the World Bank, whose report
"Renewable Energy Desalination: An Emerging Solution to Close MENA’s Water
Gap" recommended greater investments in renewable energy and suggested
that CSP was the most suitable source of renewable energy, owing to its
scalability and ability to provide energy 24 hours a day. The World Bank report
noted, however, that CSP may only be an option in the long term because of its
current high cost. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dr Nasser Saidi, founder and president of Nasser Saidi &
Associates, an economic advisory and consulting company based in Dubai, notes
that although the MENA region is home to 6.3% of the world’s population, it has
access to only 1.4% of the world’s renewable fresh water. "To make matters
worse, the region currently exploits over 75% of its available renewable water
resources due to its burgeoning population, increased urbanization, mispricing
of water and rapid economic growth," he warned in an article on the Gulf
Business website in October 2013. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Saudi Arabia in an ill-fated drive to increase food
production has - over a 15-year period - largely depleted its water aquifer
that had taken millions of years to accumulate. It will be forced to stop its
wheat production by 2016. Yemen is already a hydrological basket case and Gaza
is an ecological disaster," Saidi commented. In the GCC, a major policy
issue is that "the bulk of the region’s water is misdirected into agriculture,
a sector that provides less than five per cent of GDP".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overcoming water scarcity, Saidi argues, requires a
combination of ecosystem and water management systems, improved efficiency and
pricing of water use, and investment in water infrastructure. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">To close the "water gap" in this region, the World
Bank estimates that approximately 104 billion dollars per year will be needed,
equivalent to about 6% of the MENA region's GDP. However, the Bank warns that
the costs of failing to take action could be even higher, reaching up to
300-400 billion dollars per year.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-21440089308089438372014-01-11T03:08:00.001-08:002014-01-11T03:08:18.148-08:00Microfinance in MENA - an untapped market <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Historically, most MENA microfinance programmes date
from the mid‑1990s, but the sector has made little headway in the region. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">MENA continues to be the smallest microfinance
market worldwide, in terms of both borrower outreach and gross loan portfolio. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpK4MNo9w9k/UtEjw9iYMZI/AAAAAAAAAQU/Xxh6iNUOHyY/s1600/christian-kober-container-ships-in-port-area-lattakia-syria-middle-east.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpK4MNo9w9k/UtEjw9iYMZI/AAAAAAAAAQU/Xxh6iNUOHyY/s1600/christian-kober-container-ships-in-port-area-lattakia-syria-middle-east.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Container ship in Latakia, Syria</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Peter Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This</span> article was first published in </span><a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">The Middle East </span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">magazine, London, December 2013 issue</span> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The microfinance industry provides small loans and other
financial services including savings, insurance and money transfer systems
which are essential for low‑income households and small enterprises which are
excluded from formal banking systems. These informal lending and borrowing organizations
enable users to manage cash flows to finance day-to-day living, invest
productively and respond to financial shocks. In recent years, microfinance in
some parts of the world has experienced a transformation from what was
originally a socially motivated movement to a broader portfolio of financial
services, of which payments and savings are becoming the main products<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Washington-based Center for Financial Inclusion at
Accion ranks Latin America and the Caribbean as the best region in the world
for microfinance, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and
Central Asia, and lastly the Middle East and North Africa <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(MENA)</span>.
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The World
Bank notes that microcredit accounts for just 0.2% of the MENA region’s gross
domestic product, and lending by microfinance providers reaches only 1.8% of
the adult population, half the rate of South Asia, Latin America and the
Caribbean. Even in Morocco, which has MENA's most developed microfinance
sector, microcredit loans account for just over 1% of total bank credit, </span>compared
with 7% in Latin America and the Caribbean and 5% in Africa. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Historically, most MENA microfinance programmes date from the mid‑1990s,
but the sector has made little headway in the region. </span>MENA continues to
be the smallest microfinance market worldwide, in terms of both borrower
outreach and gross loan portfolio. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The reasons include poor regulation and
perceived weak risk management, exacerbated by recent political events and
social upheaval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">According to a market profile by the Washington-based </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Microfinance Information Exchange, which
provides data and analysis on some 2,000 </span>microfinance institutions
(MFIs)<span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> worldwide, in the </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">six MENA countries
which reported data in 2012 there were some 1.2 million active borrowers, with
a gross loan portfolio of 742 million US dollars. </span>Within the region,
microfinance markets are in different stages of development.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The </span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">number of borrowers in 2012 ranged from
674,302 in Morocco and 209,861 in Tunisia to 36,726 in Lebanon and 20,331 in
Iraq. Egypt had 141,299 borrowers, while Jordan had 101,089. Other growing
microfinance markets include Yemen, with more than 82,000 borrowers at the end
of 2012, and West Bank and Gaza, with about 43,000 active clients.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Regulation<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Many experts believe that insufficient supervision and regulation
have held back the growth of microfinance in MENA countries. A 2013 report by
the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on the global microfinance business
environment noted that the regulatory environment in MENA had seen few changes
during the previous year. Morocco updated its Microfinance Associations Law and
additional rules and regulations are forthcoming. "The main impact of the Law
has been to encourage consolidation among smaller microcredit associations
(MCAs). However, some microfinance professionals have criticised the Law because
it does not assist MFIs in transforming into commercial banks, nor does it
assist MFIs that would prefer to remain NGOs," the EIU report commented.
In Egypt, a long‑awaited update to the 2002 NGO Law that also regulates MFIs
operating as NGOs is still under consideration, while legislation specific to
the microfinance industry "has been delayed repeatedly due to political
turmoil," the report added.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the view of Hoda Salman, MENA representative for the
Netherlands-based microfinance investment manager Triple Jump, "many MFIs
have difficulty securing commercial funds due to weak MFI structures and capacities,
restrictive NGO regulations or political and economic instability that can
render local currency rates on foreign commercial debt unaffordable". A
major hindrance to growth in the sector, she adds, is "the absence of
microfinance-specific regulations in many MENA countries, which prevents NGO
MFIs from transforming into for-profit companies and/or deposit‑taking
institutions".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Peter McConaghy, a World Bank microfinance analyst, agrees
that a lack of regulation to support the robust growth of MFIs is to blame for
the low levels of microfinance penetration in the MENA area. While noting that each
country in the region poses unique challenges, he argues that "the inability
of MFIs to accept deposits in many of the region’s markets, underdeveloped financial
infrastructure, and low levels of financial literacy among potential
beneficiaries all contribute to the limited microfinance outreach in the
region."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Potential to
expand <o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">But despite microfinance in MENA being undeveloped, it has the
potential to expand in a region where, as the World Bank notes, "political
and social transitions in countries across MENA are placing additional economic
pressure on firms and households". Unemployment levels are higher than in all
other world regions and youth unemployment, at 25%, is a particularly pressing
public policy issue. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">TechNavio, an international technology research and advisory
company, forecasts that the global microfinance market will grow at a Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.61% over the period 2012-2016, with one of the
key factors contributing to this growth being the increased focus on untapped
markets. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">ln Yemen, for instance, with only 7% of Yemenis possessing a
bank account, long-latent demand among the population for financial services
would seem to make the country an ideal market for microfinance. Analysts also
see substantial room for growth of the microfinance industry in Lebanon,
particularly in rural areas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In many MENA countries, despite the increasing use of
technology, mobile and correspondent banking is still in the pilot stage. There
is great scope for the development of microfinance mobile phone services
enabling the transfer of money, although central banks across the region have
yet to extend their regulations to cover such innovations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Philippe de Fontaine Vive, the European Investment Bank Vice‑President
of Innovation, believes that for microfinance to expand in the MENA region, significant
institutional and capacity building efforts are needed, at all levels including
regulatory and supervisory capacity, and especially for smaller MFIs, in order
to increase client outreach. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Financial institutions need to strengthen their
capacity to expand their offer of credit and ultimately also other financial
services such as deposits. Microfinance remains limited and very few MFIs offer
financial services beyond basic credit. Following the recent events in the region,
expectations in microfinance as a means to fight unemployment, increase social
inclusion, and provide access to finance to the 'very base of the pyramid' are
high," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">For Hoda Salman of Triple Jump, in addition to the ongoing
political and economic instability and insecurity in many of the ‘recovering’
countries, the main challenges for the microfinance industry in MENA lie in the
area of regulation. "A conducive microfinance regulatory framework would
allow MFIs to provide a wider range of financial services and access more
sources of capital (such as equity), amongst other things, to reach more
low-income, yet economically active, people," she argues. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;">
</span></span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-50259717500425624142013-10-09T02:56:00.000-07:002013-10-09T02:56:01.908-07:00Israeli green light for controversial Eilat line
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Peter Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This article
was first published in <a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/israeli-green-light-controversial-eilat-line/">MENA Rail News </a>on 8 October 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ignoring
objections from Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister, a coalition of
activists and environmentalists, economists and even the former head of Mossad,
the country’s powerful intelligence agency, a ministerial committee on 6
October approved the building of a twin-track high-speed railway line linking Tel
Aviv and the port of Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn14MDczLOg/UlUnlKS15tI/AAAAAAAAAPM/j7hY0N74MQM/s1600/Israeli-green-light.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn14MDczLOg/UlUnlKS15tI/AAAAAAAAAPM/j7hY0N74MQM/s320/Israeli-green-light.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No budget
costings were included in the announcement, but latest estimates are in excess
of 5.6 billion US dollars. Construction work on the 350-km line, which would
carry passengers as well as freight, will take an estimated 10 years. If
completed, it will be the most expensive transport project in Israel’s 65-year
history.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The scheme
is being pushed by Transport Minister Yisrael Katz and Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who says it would have great strategic significance for Israel. But Minister
of Environmental Protection Amir Peretz opposes the project, arguing it would harm
the environment. The line, with trains travelling at 250 km per hour, “is liable
to turn into a fast track to destroying nature in the Negev [desert] and
damaging the Gulf of Eilat,” Peretz said in a joint statement with the Israel
Nature and Parks Authority and the Society for the Protection of Nature in
Israel. Other critics say the project will also divert resources that could be
spent on improving public transport in urban areas. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Giving
details of the route, Israeli business news website <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Globes</i> reported that the first 90‑km section of the line from Tel
Aviv to Beersheva was already completed, and the second 35‑km section to Dimona
required a second line. The website added: “The third 65‑km section from Dimona
to Hatzeva will be especially difficult, with a doubling of the existing track
to Nahal Zin and 9.2 km of tunnels to reach the Arava. The fourth 160‑km
section will run to the northern entrance to Eilat, where the new port channel
will be built. The line will not reach the current port. In addition to the
tunnels, the route will require 63 bridges extending over 4.5 km.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The announcement
made no mention of a link with Israel’s Mediterranean port of Ashdod, creating
a “land bridge” between Europe and Asia, which had been touted as the project’s
main purpose. Options for linking the railway to the ports are expected to be
discussed later.
<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Netivei
Yisrael, Israel’s national roads company, says the proposed rail link is not
meant to compete with Egypt’s Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean and
the Red Sea. However, Israel’s Haaretz newspaper quoted estimates that Israel’s
planned rail line would allow for “hundreds of thousands of crates of goods to
travel between the two continents as well. In addition, Israel will be able to
import more than 200,000 cars using the cargo train and export five million
tons of chemicals.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foreign interest<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Globes</i>, the Prime Minister's Office
director‑general Harel Locker is in favour of financing the project as part of
an agreement between governments, rather than through a tender in the normal way.
The Chinese, French and Spanish governments are interested in the project, and tentative
plans are for the project to be managed by a Chinese company that would build
and operate the railway line. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However,
former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said Chinese involvement might damage Israel’s
ties with the United States and Europe. He warned that if China “actively
controlled” the track between Eilat and Ashdod, and the port that the
government wants to build in Eilat, it would create a situation in which China would
control “political and economic pressure points” within Israel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In response,
Israel's Transport Ministry said: “The government of Israel views positively
the interest of the Chinese in the Eilat railway project, and is promoting
economic ties with China, something that does not go against the close ties
that Israel shares with the United States.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The latest
decision suggests that Netanyahu’s argument in favour of the project’s
strategic importance for Israel is taking precedence – for the time being, at
least – over the economic counter‑view that a route offering both passenger and
freight transport would not be financially feasible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-85410538127721856172013-09-26T10:50:00.000-07:002013-09-26T10:59:26.058-07:00Winning hearts and minds of GCC public transport users<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QsTUZDFfv8w/UkRuaw5CZ9I/AAAAAAAAAOk/Ilnki8tBNYM/s1600/GCC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QsTUZDFfv8w/UkRuaw5CZ9I/AAAAAAAAAOk/Ilnki8tBNYM/s320/GCC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>By Peter Feuilherade</em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>This article was first published in <a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/winning-hearts-minds-gcc-public-transport-users/">MENA Rail News </a>on 24 September 2013.</em></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
next decade, the population of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries
is forecast to soar by 30% to over 50 million people – and more than 85% of
them will be living in urban areas, according to the UN. Governments in the
region are spending billions of dollars on public transport infrastructure and
services, to divert traffic from roads and reduce air and noise pollution. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
total planned investment in railways, metros and trams in the Gulf states over
the next 10 years is put at almost $150 billion. In addition to a GCC-wide rail
network that aims to connect all six states by 2018, almost $30 billion worth
of contracts have been awarded in recent months alone to build metro services in
the capitals of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, while metro projects are also under way
in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Jeddah, Mecca and Medina.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
benefits to the economy – including greater efficiency due to reduced traffic,
and significant cuts to travel times – are self-evident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">But as
growing populations and increasing prosperity boost car ownership, luring
commuters away from private vehicles and taxis and persuading them to switch to
public transport is a major challenge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">While
in London, for example, public transport is used for about half of all
journeys, only about 2% of Riyadh’s six million residents currently use public
transport. The figures for Jeddah and Bahrain are 4% and 5% respectively. Dubai,
with the most developed public transit network in the GCC, reported 165 million
journeys in the first half of 2013, or almost 12% of potential users. By 2030,
when construction of Dubai’s 422‑km metro and tram network is completed, the aim
is to achieve a user rate of 30%. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Mattar
al‑Tayer, head of Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), said in July
2013 that residents of the emirate and visitors “do grasp the benefits and
advantages of using public transport means, including the psychological and
physical relief of riders, reducing traffic accidents, cutting expenses on fuel
and maintenance of private vehicles, and avoiding the hassles of finding
parking space…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">But
many factors are still impeding greater take-up of public transport across the
GCC, including poor public perceptions, heavy dependence on private cars and
taxis, the absence of standard policies and regulations and the lack of private
sector capacity to support this rapid development.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">With
fuel prices in the region among the cheapest in the world, heavily subsidized
by governments, this only serves to promote the continued high use of privately-owned
vehicles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Public
attitudes towards the curtailment of subsidies remain resistant to change, but
the option of raising fuel prices to promote greater use of public transport is
beginning to appear on the political agenda. In August 2013, Saudi Arabia's
High Commission for the Development of Riyadh mooted raising fuel prices to
make more motorists use public transport. "High fuel prices will prompt a
considerable number of private car owners to depend on the metro and buses for
their commuting," the Saudi newspaper Arab News quoted the commission as
saying. Riyadh is also considering imposing fees for car parking to discourage
people from using private vehicles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Another
option is road tolls. In 2007, Dubai was the first city in the region to
introduce toll systems on some major roads, but surveys have shown that many Dubai
residents remain reluctant to use public transport until it becomes considerably
cheaper than personal transport. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Qatar,
for its part, has ruled out parking fees or congestion charges, saying they are
not feasible until people have safe public transport options. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Raising
attractiveness<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">If
coercive measures against car use are to be avoided</span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> in an oil‑producing region where the public expect
low taxes and import duties, the alternative must be to make </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">using
public transport more attractive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">A
July 2013 report by global consulting firm Booz & Co said the </span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">convenience of passengers was paramount, and
customers wanted public transportation that was easy to access and use, as well
as being pleasant to ride. “To reach a sustainable level of usage, a metro in
the GCC should heed lessons from successful systems that have proper feeds from
high-frequency bus services and taxis, as well as ‘park and ride’ facilities
for car users. Station and vehicle cleanliness and comfort are also critical to
attract riders from all socioeconomic classes,” the report added.</span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Riyadh’s
new 177‑km six-line metro network, due for completion in 2019, is described as the
world's biggest current investment in public transport. The Riyadh Development
Authority has hired some top international architects to design stations
intended to be “tranquil oases for travel, shopping and dining”, to place the
metro at the heart of life in the Saudi capital. One of the stations, Olaya, will
feature elevated public gardens and an undulating roof inspired by desert sand
dunes. Ibrahim al-Sultan, the official supervising the project, told Reuters news
agency that the metro will "enhance the quality of life" of Riyadh's six
million inhabitants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rF5KH_0jhiw/UkR01Fy732I/AAAAAAAAAO0/-b1dMwceE7g/s1600/Riyadh+metro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rF5KH_0jhiw/UkR01Fy732I/AAAAAAAAAO0/-b1dMwceE7g/s320/Riyadh+metro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<em></em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em></em></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><em>Riyadh metro to enhance "quality of life" </em></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Some
Saudi women see the new metro as offering them greater independence by
overcoming the ban on women driving in the Kingdom. The Riyadh metro will include
"family class" carriages, intended to give women privacy and peace of
mind like the "ladies only" carriages on metros in Dubai and Cairo,
among others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Dubai Metro, too, plans to extend sections reserved for women and children in
carriages during peak hours, after complaints and surveys found that these were
often more congested than the rest of the train.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">A statement
by the RTA in August 2013 said the number of women and children travelling on
the Metro had increased noticeably, “thanks primarily to the growth in the
public transportation culture among the public from different social
cross-sections”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Constant
connectivity is another essential, now that technological achievements mean public
transport users worldwide expect to be able to use smartphones and tablets
during journeys, as well as receive up to date travel information via smart
technologies, on social media as well as display screens in carriages, on
platforms and station concourses, shops and restaurants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr
Muna Hamdi, founder and leader of Intelligent Mobility: Future Vision (iMFV) and
ITS Arab director of research, told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MENA
Rail News</i> that the first priority for GCC public transport planners should
be multi-modal connectivity, providing seamless travel for people and goods between
transport networks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Dr Hamdi also stressed the need for
integrated planning and regulation at the GCC level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
most important step is to develop a multi-modal GCC regional strategy that
takes into account the rapid change in technology (planning flexibility) and economic
growth, as well as environmental and cultural aspects of a healthy and
prosperous society. The lack of convenient travel options for a considerable
time in the Arab region, personal wealth and the availability of fuel have
encouraged dependency on personal transport,” she said, adding that “adaptation
to the local culture user needs and aspirations” was paramount.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">But experts
caution that planners in the GCC must be </span><span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">realistic
about how many people will use public transport. The Booz & Co report
predicts that in the light of the current strong car culture in the region and
its far‑flung populations, public transport is unlikely to account for more
than 30% of motorized trips in GCC cities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #231f20; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“Even
to reach that figure, treble the current level, transport authorities will have
to do more than build public transport systems based on demand and
transit-oriented development. They will need a holistic approach based on
integrated modes of transportation, customer convenience, reduced private-car
use, private-sector involvement, and an integrated planning and regulatory
framework,” the Booz report concluded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-70402590817523045112013-09-04T03:15:00.001-07:002013-09-04T12:52:30.299-07:00Could rail be a viable outlet for South Sudan’s oil exports?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Peter Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">This article was first published in </span><a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/featured/could-rail-be-a-viable-outlet-for-south-sudans-oil-exports/"><span style="font-size: large;">MENA Rail News</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> on 13 July 2013</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSO2LD1lftQ/UicD6RcWlvI/AAAAAAAAANs/SQxdQjca3vw/s1600/Flag-of-South-Sudan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSO2LD1lftQ/UicD6RcWlvI/AAAAAAAAANs/SQxdQjca3vw/s1600/Flag-of-South-Sudan.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Flag of South Sudan</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The latest flare-up between Sudan and its landlocked
neighbour South Sudan over cross-border flows of oil via pipelines raises the issue
of whether building a railway line to export South Sudan’s oil via Kenya instead
could turn out to be a better long-term option.<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In June, Sudan threatened to block exports of crude oil from
South Sudan via pipelines controlled by the government in Khartoum, following
renewed claims that South Sudan was supporting rebels operating across the
shared border. The allegations are denied by the government in Juba, the
capital of South Sudan, which is the world’s newest nation. When South Sudan gained
independence from Khartoum in 2011 after a 22-year civil war, Sudan lost 75 per
cent of its oil production overnight, but retained the pipeline infrastructure,
as well as the refineries and export terminal at Port Sudan on the Red Sea. This
is currently the only way that South Sudan, the most oil‑dependent country in
the world, can get its oil to market. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the row was defused at the end of June, South Sudan
shipped its first oil cargo through Sudan to international markets since 2011. But
tensions remain between the two countries, and it is very likely that oil exports
from South Sudan will be interrupted again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In late June, the presidents of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda
agreed to build two pipelines across East Africa, one of which would run from
South Sudan to Lamu port in northern Kenya. While this would give the Juba
authorities a pipeline to the south, advocates of building a rail link to export
South Sudan’s oil believe they have a strong case.</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBhNuscyP6M/UicHt0aj-5I/AAAAAAAAAOE/92PAk7LqfYc/s1600/South-Sudan-Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zBhNuscyP6M/UicHt0aj-5I/AAAAAAAAAOE/92PAk7LqfYc/s1600/South-Sudan-Map.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Flexible,
open-ended, expandable”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In 2012, two US academics and Sudanese specialists set out
the case for building a railway line to connect South Sudanese oil fields to
the Kenyan coast. But so far the proposal has not attracted interest either from
the government in Juba or the international rail construction industry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">The railway project, if adopted, could put the new country
on a path for resolving a host of pressing political and economic problems in a
single blow, says Sharon Hutchinson, Professor of Anthropology at the
University of Wisconsin. It could also represent an enormous business
opportunity for international railway companies, she told MENA Rail News in an
interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Her vision is of a flexible, open-ended and expandable
railway system that could begin with a route that would link South Sudan to
Kenya (and Uganda) and then gradually expand, as income from oil export revenues
and supplementary railway revenue streams grew, to encompass the entire country
and become a force for economic growth throughout the extended region.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">She believes that a railway line could be built in stages
that could gradually expand outwards from an initial cut to the coast in order
to progressively link up with more and more regional urban hubs, such as
Nairobi and Kampala and, later, perhaps, Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa. “Even
more importantly, it could serve as a force of political and economic growth
and unification by gradually interconnecting diverse domestic administrative
centres and regions,” Hutchinson added, noting that there is already a rail
line extending from Khartoum to Wau in South Sudan, which could be tied in and
expanded as a more effective route northwards.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POw0Kxdg_Co/UicEyrAdVsI/AAAAAAAAAN8/_3KJ0TDfyC4/s1600/train-towards-wau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POw0Kxdg_Co/UicEyrAdVsI/AAAAAAAAAN8/_3KJ0TDfyC4/s1600/train-towards-wau.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"><em>Train travelling towards Wau</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recalling how railway construction during the colonial era had
stimulated rapid economic development and growth in many African countries in
the past, she said that “unlike a single purpose oil pipeline, a railway line
would be able to create multiple revenue streams for both the state and people
of South Sudan for generations to come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would enable South Sudan to create an increasingly diversified import
and export economy.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">But Hutchinson warned that if government officials in South
Sudan do not give the railway proposal more serious consideration at this stage,
they may find it very difficult to "catch up" with neighbouring
states later on, once the latter have taken the economic lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Eric Reeves, a Sudan researcher and analyst at Smith
College, Massachusetts, also believes South Sudanese officials have not taken
the railway option seriously enough. He told MENA Rail News: “The real issue is
the lack of a leadership which has to date failed to assess this key
transportation decision in a realistic way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The oil pipeline can carry more oil, but will take longer to build and
is one‑way - it is useless for imports.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In reply to arguments that South Sudan critically needs
maximum oil revenues now, which an existing pipeline can provide, Reeves
counters: “Even if a rail line monetizes the oil reserves more slowly, that's
probably a good thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too much money
came in too fast to escape the blight of corruption.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when the oil runs out, the pipeline will
be useless - not so a rail line.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a February 2013 briefing paper entitled "Railway: A
Better Option than Pipeline for South Sudan”, Samuel Nyuon Akoi Nyuon, an
engineering student at Cornell University, pointed out that given its current
economic predicament, South Sudan cannot afford to build roads, railways and a
pipeline at the same time. “It must choose what to acquire first in order to
stimulate the growth of her nascent economy. Looking at the three options,
railway offers the best opportunity for restarting oil exports and stimulating
long‑term economic growth,” he argued.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is already a separate plan, the LAPSSET (Lamu
Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia) project, a $25 billion venture that envisages
linking the Kenyan coastal town of Lamu to South Sudan and Ethiopia by building
thousands of miles of roads, railways and oil pipeline over a time-scale of 17
years. Officials in Kenya, the driving force behind the project, are pinning
their hopes on the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the African
Union, as well as Chinese investment, to provide the finance. But funding for
this ambitious mega-project is not assured.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-90256078900601645192013-07-02T05:49:00.000-07:002013-07-02T05:56:44.926-07:00Most North African Rail Markets Buoyant Amidst Uncertainty<br />
<strong><em>This article appeared on <a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/featured/most-north-african-rail-markets-buoyant-amidst-uncertainty/">MENA Rail News </a>on 6 June 2013</em></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><em><strong>By Peter Feuilherade - 6 June 2013</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>On top of high levels of unemployment and complex political transitions in North Africa, the weaknesses of European economies have affected those countries in the region that are dependent on European markets. In the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, political and social tensions also continue in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. But infrastructure and construction projects are still of major importance, and a steady stream of new contracts in the rail sector in recent months is cause for optimism.</strong><br />
<br />
The African Economic Outlook 2013, published in May 2013, predicts that the economic climate in North Africa will generally improve in the near future. “Due to the resumption of oil production and exports, Libya’s GDP bounced back by 96% in 2012, boosting growth in North Africa to 9.5%, after the region’s GDP had stagnated in 2011,” the report notes. While in Egypt growth remains below pre-revolution levels, Tunisia’s economy recovered in 2012 and is forecast to grow by around 3.5% in 2013, rising to around 4.5% in 2014. Morocco and Mauritania are predicted to enjoy continued solid growth in 2013/14 at average rates of 6% and almost 5% respectively. In Algeria, growth is expected to accelerate from 2.5% in 2012 to above 3% in 2013 and 4% in 2014.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img alt="North-Africa" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4014" height="161" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/North-Africa.jpg" width="586" /><br />
<br />
<br />
Although Egypt is plagued by a mounting economic crisis, the European Union has allocated US$ 160 million towards the development of the transport sector, onethird of which will fund construction of the third phase of the Cairo Metro. Grants totalling US$ 250 million from Kuwait and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development will support electronic signalling projects on the Banha-Zagazig line north of Cairo. And during a visit by Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Mursi to Moscow in April to drum up financial support, it was agreed that Russian companies would participate in rail and metro projects. However, Egypt’s railways remain plagued by outdated rolling stock and low safety standards, and it is difficult to see how a proposed high-speed train project, costing an estimated US$ 3.5 billion, will attract either local or foreign investors while the financial situation deteriorates.<br />
<h2>
TGV is Morocco’s most important transport project</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owqjc_pV1gY/UdLK09rZAhI/AAAAAAAAAMc/ZZLCVG1WyAE/s501/Morocco+planned+TGV+route.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owqjc_pV1gY/UdLK09rZAhI/AAAAAAAAAMc/ZZLCVG1WyAE/s320/Morocco+planned+TGV+route.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em></em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Morocco's planned TGV routes</em></span><br />
<br />
There is better news from the other side of North Africa, where both passenger and freight traffic in Morocco are on the increase. The construction of the 350-km high-speed rail (TGV) line between Tangier and Casablanca, in partnership with France, is regarded as the kingdom’s most important transport project. In April France’s Colas Rail and its subsidiary Colas Rail Maroc, as part of a consortium with Egis Rail, won a design-build contract for a 185-km double track highspeed line between Tangier and Kenitra. The total contract value is US$ 175 million, of which US$ 160 million are earmarked for Colas Rail and Colas Rail Maroc. A consortium comprising Ansaldo STS France and Cofely Ineo was awarded a US$ 155 million contract to design and supply signalling, train control and telecommunications systems for the line, which is scheduled to open during the first half of 2016.<br />
<br />
Eventually the TGV network will extend over 1,500 km. According to the international business intelligence firm Oxford Business Group (OBG), “the move to set up a joint venture for TGV maintenance and establish a training institute will be a key driver in the Moroccan authorities’ bid to create a qualified local workforce with know-how for future ventures.”<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MoEijT-ftxg/UdLLTO4MEHI/AAAAAAAAAMk/OUEGyr9SoqE/s1065/Algeria+Oran+tram+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MoEijT-ftxg/UdLLTO4MEHI/AAAAAAAAAMk/OUEGyr9SoqE/s320/Algeria+Oran+tram+2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>New tram network in Oran</em></span><br />
<br />
In May a new 18-km tram network opened in Oran, Algeria’s second city. The rail network in Algeria is currently concentrated in the north of the country and comprises 3,660 km of standard gauge and 1,140 of narrow gauge. The government plans to modernize the network and electrify existing rail operations, as well as develop a 1,300km highspeed east-west line that will run from Tunisia to Morocco, with branches connecting with major ports and cities. Algeria has allocated US$ 32 billion to the development of its rail infrastructure during the two five-year plans covering the decade from 2005 to 2014, Ministry of Transport spokesman Nassim Mustapha said in March 2013. Much of the expenditure will be spent linking the more developed rail networks in the north to towns in the less well-connected south. But officials admit that many rail projects have been held up owing to problems connected with “expropriation”. Political issues are also affecting the sector’s expansion, with Algerian newspaper Le Matin in March 2013 referring to “the state of tension which prevails in several towns in southern Algeria”.<br />
<br />
In Tunisia, Colas Rail, in a consortium with Siemens and Tunisian firm Somatra-Get, won a US$ 187 million contract in February to build the first two lines of a high-speed railway network in the capital Tunis. Construction work on the project, financed by a consortium of international backers and the Tunisian government, is scheduled to start in mid-2014 and is expected to be completed in 2018.<br />
Meanwhile, a definitive announcement is awaited from Libya about the future of stalled projects agreed before the revolution and valued at US$ 12 billion. Construction to build more than 2,000 km of new railway track would have been split between the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and Russian Railways (RZhD). The Libya Herald newspaper reports that while CRCC remains silent on its future activities in Libya, RZhD has said it was “taking all possible steps to begin negotiations with Libya in order to discuss the future prospects for the resumption of the project and to develop a joint plan of action…“.<br />
<h2>
Long-term reforms</h2>
In the words of Ernst & Young’s Africa Attractiveness Survey (2013), “countries, such as Morocco, that are making substantial improvements in transport and logistics, are the ones that have implemented long-term and comprehensive reforms and investments across the transport and logistics supply chain.”<br />
However, analysts say that the fallout from the Arab Spring revolutions continues to impede business across North Africa, even in countries like Algeria which did not go through a radical political upheaval.<br />
<br />
John Hamilton, London office director of the business intelligence and consultancy company Crossborder Information, told MENA Rail News: “The common denominator is uncertainty created by political change and the lack of central authority… Across the whole region, the political shifts mean that investors and contractors will have to pay close attention to their local partners.”Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-55439421933800313052013-07-02T05:30:00.000-07:002013-07-02T05:30:19.318-07:00Electric Urban Transport<span style="color: purple;"><em><strong></strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><em><strong>By Peter Feuilherade</strong></em></span><br />
<hr />
<em><strong>This article first appeared in the April 2013 issue of e-tech, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Geneva..</strong></em><br />
<a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech" target="_blank" title="etech"><em><span style="color: #336699;">www.iec.ch/etech</span></em></a><br />
<br />
<strong><em>It was also published by <a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/featured/electric-urban-transport/">MENA Rail News </a></em></strong><br />
<span style="color: #336699;"><strong><em><hr />
</em></strong></span><h2>
A revival after a long decline</h2>
<span style="color: purple;"><em><strong>More than half the world’s population now live in cities, according to United Nations data, and that percentage is forecast to hit 60% by 2030. By 2025 there will be 37 megacities (22 of them in Asia), each home to more than 10 million people. The growing use of electric buses, trams and metropolitan “light railways” offers an environmentally friendly option to reduce local emission of pollutants significantly in the expanding cities of the future.</strong></em></span><br />
<h3>
<img alt="Bus" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3743" height="199" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock_000017613303_ExtraSmall-300x199.jpg" width="300" /></h3>
<h3>
Nothing new</h3>
Urban public transport systems powered by electricity can trace their origins to 1879 when Berlin launched the world’s first electric suburban railway (S-Bahn), followed by electric trams in 1881 and electric trolleybuses a year later.<br />
<br />
With transport systems estimated to account for between 20% and 25% of world energy consumption and CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, electric vehicles offer greater efficiency than their diesel counterparts. Using their brakes, they can generate kinetic energy to be recycled back into the power network. Electric engines on buses and trams cause less vibration, making journeys more comfortable for passengers and reducing maintenance time and costs.<br />
<br />
Several IEC TCs (Technical Committees) prepare International Standards for the electric buses, trams, trolleybuses and metro/light rail vehicles used in public urban transport networks, as well as the batteries, capacitors and fuel cells used in propulsion systems, and many other components.<br />
<h3>
Buses</h3>
Electric buses, which require neither great range nor speed and can be partially recharged during their journeys as they stop for passengers, are seen as the most promising area for potential growth of green urban public transport.<br />
<br />
China is the world leader in developing battery electric buses. The southern city of Shenzhen has the world’s largest zero-carbon fleet of all-electric buses and taxis, and plans to have 6 000 electric buses in service by 2015. Shenzhen is also home to the world’s largest manufacturer of electric buses, BYD (Build Your Dreams). The company has started to enter overseas electric bus markets. At the start of 2013 its vehicles received Whole Vehicle Type-Approval from the European Union, giving the company the green light to sell its buses to all EU member countries without further certification.<br />
The number of electric buses in countries other than China is limited but growing.<br />
<img alt="Electric Buses" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3742" height="199" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock_000018381414_ExtraSmall-300x199.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<br />
The US-based market research and consulting firm Pike Research forecast in August 2012 that the global market for all electric-drive buses including hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell buses will grow steadily over the next six years, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 26,4% from 2012 to 2018. According to Pike, the largest sales volumes will come in Asia Pacific, with more than 15 000 e-buses being sold in that region in 2018 – 75% of the world total. China will account for the majority of global e-bus sales, Pike predicts. It believes that growth in the e-bus market will accelerate strongly in Eastern Europe and Latin America, the latter driven largely by Brazil. Sales in Western Europe will experience steady growth (around a 20% CAGR), according to Pike.<br />
<br />
A December 2012 report by the research and consultancy firm IDTechEx forecast that the market for electric buses and taxis will grow from USD 6,24 billion in 2011 to USD 54 billion in 2021, of which the largest part will be buses. China will become by far the largest market for both electric buses and electric taxis. According to Dr Peter Harrop, chairman of IDTechEx, “in China… over 100 000 electric buses a year will eventually be bought as part of the national programme”.<br />
<h3>
<img alt="Electric Lines" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3745" height="199" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock_000013026843_ExtraSmall-300x199.jpg" width="300" /></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Trolleybuses</h3>
Trolleybuses are electric buses that use spring-loaded trolley poles to draw their electricity from overhead lines, generally suspended from roadside posts, as distinct from other electric buses that rely on batteries. Because they do not require tracks or rails, they are more flexible than trams and drivers can cross the bus lane, making the installation of a trolleybus system much cheaper. Trolleybuses operate in some 370 cities or metropolitan areas worldwide, according to the Trolley Project, which aims “to unlock the vast potential of trolleybuses to transform public transport systems” across Europe in line with the European Commission’s target to reduce traffic-related CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050.<br />
<h3>
Trams</h3>
In the 1960s the tram saw a decline in favour of diesel driven buses, but the backlash in recent years against pollution and dependence on fossil fuels has seen a resurgence of interest in electric trams as another urban transport system that can carry large numbers of passengers efficiently and generates no emissions at the point of use. Tram systems do not need vast financing compared with underground systems, which are typically four times more expensive to construct. However, in addition to its relative high cost, compared to that of buses or trolleybuses, the greatest disadvantage of the tram is its confinement to a set route by the wires and tracks it requires. The largest tram networks are in Melbourne, St Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin, Milan, Toronto, Budapest, Bucharest and Prague. Dozens of cities in North America are exploring or planning tram systems.<br />
<h3>
Metro and light rail</h3>
In a December 2012 study SCI Verkehr GmbH, an international management consultancy based in Germany, forecast the global growth in railway electrification at a CAGR of 3,4% up to 2016.<br />
Market growth is mainly driven by new metro and electric light rail urban transport projects under way on most continents, from major cities in Asia and the Persian Gulf to North and South Africa and North American urban areas.<br />
<br />
A metro rapid transit system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, typically located either in underground tunnels or on elevated rails above street level. It allows higher capacity with less land use, less environmental impact and a lower cost than typical light rail systems.<br />
<br />
Light rail systems use small electric-powered trains or trams that generally have a lower capacity and lower speed than normal trains to serve large metropolitan areas. They usually operate at ground level, but can include underground or overhead zones.<br />
<h3>
A common feature to rail systems: IEC International Standards</h3>
All urban rail systems rely on International Standards developed by IEC TC 9: Electrical equipment and systems for railways. Areas covered include rolling stock, fixed installations, management systems (including communication, signalling and processing systems) for railway operation, their interfaces and their ecological environment. These standards deal with electromechanical and electronic aspects of power components as well as electronic hardware and software components.<br />
<h3>
<img alt="Battery Fuel" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3739" height="199" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock_000021662806_ExtraSmall-300x199.jpg" width="300" /></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Batteries and fuel cells</h3>
Buses, which have defined, short routes and daily travel distances of less than 200 km, are well suited to battery-only electric technology. Li-ion (Lithium-ion) technology is the most commonly used. Pure electric buses divide into those using high power density Li-ion batteries alone and those with large banks of supercapacitors in the roof to manage fast charge and discharge and increase battery life. Hydrogen powered fuel-cell vehicles provide longer range than battery electric vehicles. Refuelling times are short and comparable with present internal combustion engine vehicles. Currently, the main drawbacks of hydrogen powered vehicles are the high cost, mainly due to expensive fuel cells, and the lack of refuelling infrastructure. IEC TCs prepare International Standards for batteries and fuel cells used in urban transport systems.<br />
<br />
IEC TC 21: Secondary cells and batteries, has prepared standards covering requirements and tests for batteries for road vehicles, locomotives, industrial trucks and mechanical handling equipment. Its work includes standards for performance, reliability, abuse testing and dimensions for hybrid and plug-in hybrid Li-ion batteries, which are seen as one of the most promising types of secondary batteries.<br />
<br />
IEC TC 105: Fuel cell technologies, is responsible for standards for fuel cell commercialization and adoption. It focuses on safety, installation and performance of both stationary fuel cell systems and for transportation, both for propulsion and as auxiliary power units.<br />
<br />
Almost all fuel cell buses incorporate a battery for energy storage and there is also a balance to be struck in the hybridization of the fuel cell power plant and the supporting battery pack. While fuel cell costs remain high and hydrogen infrastructure sparse, it may be more economical to use battery-dominant buses with fuel cell range extenders. The fuel cell bus sector is showing year-on-year growth, with more prototypes being unveiled. Successful deployments have taken place in Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA but the high capital cost is still a barrier to widespread adoption.<br />
<br />
Pike Research forecasts that global demand for Li-ion batteries in electric drive buses will be more than 162 000 kWh in 2012. It expects that demand to grow to more than 1,3 million kWh by 2018, a CAGR of 42%. Fuel cell buses will drive demand for Li-ion batteries as well, but to a lesser degree. Pike Research estimates that they will require around 1 600 kWh in 2012, but will grow to 22 240 kWh by 2018.<br />
<h3>
<img alt="Electric Transport" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3741" height="199" src="http://www.menarailnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/iStock_000019268453_Small-300x199.jpg" width="300" /></h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
More IEC standardization activities for electric urban transport</h3>
Electric urban transport systems depend also on standardization work from many other IEC TCs and their SCs, such as, TC 22: Power electronic systems and equipment, TC 36: Insulators; TC 40: Capacitors and resistors for electronic equipment; TC 47: Semiconductor devices, and obviously TC 69: Electric road vehicles and electric industrial trucks, to name only a few. Other TCs may be less obvious, such as TC 56: Dependability, which is involved in rolling stock-related standardization work. It maintains liaison activities with TC 9 and stresses that “without dependable products and services (…) transport [would be] non-functioning (…) there would be numerous car, train (…) accidents”.<br />
<h3>
“Down to Electric Avenue”</h3>
Wireless or induction charging technology to charge electric vehicles, including buses and light rail trains, is in use or undergoing testing in many countries, including South Korea, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium and Italy.<br />
<br />
Wireless charging plates built into the road at bus stops and terminals enable electric buses to be charged wirelessly through a brief connection while passengers get on or off the bus at a stop. This resolves the current battery limitations that prevent an all-electric bus from operating all day off an overnight charge. It would also mean the end of unsightly overhead cables to power trams and trolleybuses. There can be a loss of energy in the transfer, but tests using a light rail train in Germany in 2011 to demonstrate the technical capability of the system under actual conditions of daily operation indicated an efficiency rating above 90%.<br />
<br />
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology say the transmitting technology they road tested supplied 180 kW of stable, constant power at 60 kHz to passing vehicles equipped with receivers, and they recorded 85% transmission efficiency. Installing similar chargers at busy traffic lights and junctions and in parking spaces could extend the technology to consumer electric cars.<br />
<br />
There are concerns, however, about different competing wireless charging technologies, the costs of installing the infrastructure and its capacity to stand up to extreme weather. Meanwhile companies, notably in China and the USA, have developed ultra-fast charging technology capable of charging an electric bus battery in five to ten minutes.<br />
<br />
Other features likely to be become standard in the electric buses of the future include regenerative charge braking, energy harvesting shock absorbers, solar panels and quickly replaceable battery packs.<br />
<br />
These and other innovations in transportation and urban mobility are set to play a prominent part in “smart city” projects around the world, a technology market that Pike Research forecasts will be worth USD 20,2 billion annually by 2020.Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-68657593447906194592013-04-08T03:09:00.000-07:002013-05-06T02:39:35.362-07:00Lines in the sand: Middle East rail projects on track<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Peter Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Middle East and North Africa is emerging as one of the
fastest growing rail markets in the world. Major railway projects planned or
under construction in the region during this decade are currently valued at around
$160 billion. The growth of rail is seen as a major step in transforming
economic development and trade by cutting freight delivery times and reducing
road congestion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: red;"> Also published in </span><em><a href="http://www.menarailnews.com/mena/algeria/lines-in-the-sand-middle-east-rail-projects-on-track/">MENA Rail News </a></em></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><em></em></o:p></span> </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyYklmFPsXw/UWKVbInKySI/AAAAAAAAALg/aiM-7WtD-no/s1600/Gulf+rail+plans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LyYklmFPsXw/UWKVbInKySI/AAAAAAAAALg/aiM-7WtD-no/s320/Gulf+rail+plans.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Planned rail projects in GCC (Source: Reuters)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This article was first
published in <a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/news-detail.php?nid=246">The Middle East </a>magazine, April 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Until recently the region had one of the lowest density rail
networks in the world, with most passengers and freight moving around by road,
air or sea. In the century since sections of the Turkish-built Hejaz Railway from
Damascus to Medina were damaged during World War I, railway development in the
Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf has been overlooked because cheap fuel prices
ensured that cars and trucks remained the favoured mode of transport for
passengers and freight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Only now is MENA emerging as one of the fastest growing rail
markets in the world. The growth of rail is seen as a major step in
transforming economic development and trade by cutting freight delivery times
and reducing road congestion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The highest growth rates are predicted in the GCC countries,
which have ambitious plans to connect individual networks that they are
currently building into a pan-Gulf railway grid which would link to the rest of
the Middle East and ultimately via Turkey to Europe, and also potentially to Central
Asia.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Qatari railways chief Saad Al Muhannadi said at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Middle East Rail</u></i> conference in
Dubai in February 2013 that an integrated rail link between the Gulf and Europe
could be ready within five years, “but this will depend on the decisions made
by heads of state and economic conditions in the countries involved” – and
presumably also on the outcome of the conflict in Syria, with its rail links to
the north with Turkey. A GCC Railways Authority may also be created by 2014 to
coordinate the individual national projects. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The region’s major economies have each earmarked dozens of
billions of dollars for infrastructure projects ranging from major mainline
ventures in Iran ($34 billion), Saudi Arabia (over $30 billion) and the UAE,
Kuwait and Qatar ($13 to 14 billion each) to more modest national projects.
High-speed passenger rail services are planned in Morocco and Iran. Egypt, the
UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, among others, are also pressing on with metro/light
rail projects aimed at delivering efficient public transport that can help ease
traffic congestion and air pollution in urban areas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The sector offers a wealth of opportunities for international
engineering, construction, rolling stock and communication companies and
consultancies across much of the MENA region.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Main
projects <o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Large-scale rail projects across the MENA region are expected
to add another 35,000 km of network in the next five years. According to Dr
Amjad Bangash, head of rail for the global construction giant Bechtel, the region's
mainline rail network is set to almost double in size over the coming decades,
while metro, tram and monorail track lengths will increase tenfold.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Saudi Arabia</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> has three major projects under way.
The North-South Railway, a passenger and freight rail line from the capital Riyadh
in the north-west to Al Haditha near the border with Jordan, is reported to be
the world’s largest railway construction project under development today.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another key project is the $7 billion Saudi Land Bridge, running
from Dammam to Jeddah via Riyadh. This will be the first rail link between the
Red Sea and the Gulf, and will cut the time taken to transfer containers
between the two ports to 18 hours, compared with a sea voyage of between five
to seven days. The project is reported to be going ahead despite a decade of
delays and financial issues over privatization.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Haramain high-speed rail link running for 450 km between
Mecca and Medina is Saudi Arabia’s most important passenger transport project.
When completed, it is expected to carry 10 million pilgrims and visitors between
the holy sites each year. Projects are also under way to build light rail/metro
systems to ease congestion in heavily populated cities including Riyadh, Mecca
and Jeddah. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">UAE</b>, the
second-largest economy in the GCC after Saudi Arabia, triggered the regional
rail revolution with its Dubai Metro project, whose first line opened in 2009.
Dubai Metro, the Middle East's first driverless metro system, carried 367
million passengers in 2012. The UAE’s focus is now on Etihad Rail, a 1,200-km
network which will be expanded in three phases across the seven emirates, with
completion expected in 2018. Eventually the network will form part of a
regional GCC railway grid, connecting the UAE to Saudi Arabia via Ghweifat in
the west and Oman via Al Ain in the east, with freight trains running at up to
120 kph and passenger trains at speeds of up to 200 kph.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWkUb5mBeEs/UWKVypZQWfI/AAAAAAAAALo/vuDqaSKVhl0/s1600/Dubai+Metro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sWkUb5mBeEs/UWKVypZQWfI/AAAAAAAAALo/vuDqaSKVhl0/s320/Dubai+Metro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dubai Metro (Photo: DubaiMetro.eu)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Qatar</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">, meanwhile, as part of expanding its
infrastructure to host the Football World Cup in 2022, has committed to
building a $35 billion national network comprising a four-line metro system, a
light rail system and heavy rail lines for freight and passengers. The first
phase of the new Doha Metro system is set to be commissioned by 2019 and will
comprise 60% of the total network – 151 km and 48 stations. Qatari railways
chief Saad Al Muhannadi estimates rail-related project returns for investors in
Qatar over the next 20 years at about $38 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Oman’s</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> planned national rail network is set
to receive a major share of the sultanate’s 2013 funding boost for public
transport. A $15 billion system comprising over 1,000 km of dual track is
proposed to connect industrial production centres in Sohar, Duqm and Salalah
and carry large volumes of bulky cargo, especially minerals. There are also
plans to build a metro system in the capital, Muscat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Iraq’s</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> rail network, opened almost 100
years ago, is now widely run-down after decades of disrepair, war and invasion,
although several lines are still in use from Baghdad to Mosul, Samarra and
Fallujah, among others. Upgrading the network and restoring other lines are
priorities in the government’s reconstruction efforts, although specific
funding on a large scale has yet to be committed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Elsewhere in the Middle East, Iran says it is adding 11,000
km to its railway network and plans to launch express freight services on the
Tehran-Mashhad route. Jordan, however, bucked the trend for expansion by
deciding in November 2012 to halt any new land acquisition for the National
Railway Project until the country’s financial situation became clearer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are several large rail projects under way in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">North Africa</b> too, although the sums
involved are more modest than in the GCC. Morocco’s Casablanca-Tangier
high-speed rail link is going ahead at an estimated cost of around $3 billion.
Algeria is planning to spend $600 million on fast rail services. And several
metro and tram systems are planned in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.
Casablanca's new 31-km tram system launched in December 2012 and the Algiers
metro, which finally opened in 2011 after over 20 years of construction delays,
has three extensions in progress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGFJZegIGTI/UWKWJ2j91EI/AAAAAAAAALw/ktmaU6PAM_E/s1600/Morocco+Tangier-Casablanca+TGV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jGFJZegIGTI/UWKWJ2j91EI/AAAAAAAAALw/ktmaU6PAM_E/s320/Morocco+Tangier-Casablanca+TGV.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morocco's Casablanca-Tangier TGV (Photo: Global Arab Network)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Egypt</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">, beset by a spate of railway
accidents that claimed dozens of lives, pledged at the start of 2013 to invest
hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrading the inadequate rail infrastructure
to stop more disasters. Other plans include a new electric railway system from
Alexandria to Cairo and a line from Beni Suef to Asyut, both funded by the
World Bank, and a new metro extension in Cairo with a loan from the EU and
France.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Advantages<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">High-speed rail services will reduce journey times
substantially. The Jeddah-Riyadh link is expected to slash passengers’ journeys
to six hours instead of the current 10 to 12 hours by bus. But freight markets
are the key drivers for the development of Middle East rail networks,
especially in the GCC countries. According to Bechtel’s Amjad Bangash, studies have
shown that trains carry freight with nearly 10 times the energy efficiency of
trucks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Rail freight is particularly attractive across long
distances… Centuries ago, the Silk Route connected trade routes into an
extensive transcontinental network. In the same spirit, the development of the
GCC network could have a transformational effect on international trade and
commerce in the region,” he believes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Graeme Overall, business development director of Etihad Rail,
maintains that in addition to economic growth and diversification, which are “the
key drivers for building a national freight network in the UAE,” moving bulk
freight by train will benefit the environment by reducing the energy-intensive
high impact use of road transport, while alleviating congestion will improve
road safety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0cm 3pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Challenges
<o:p></o:p></span></span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Building MENA rail networks involves numerous challenges, many
of them specific to the region’s climatic conditions and environment. Geoff
Leffek, regional rail director at Hyder Consulting, in an interview with the
Dubai-based <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Construction Week</u></i>
website, listed the biggest issues as “sand and dust, particularly build-up on
rails; patronage forecasting, as ridership forecasting is challenging in places
with little or no existing public transport; energy demand, because power
requirements have not always been tied up with utility providers; and climatic
conditions such as temperature extremes, humidity, harsh sunlight, etc…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Building lines that would allow train speeds of over 300 kph,
achieved by the French TGV or the Japanese “bullet train”, might not be
technically feasible in the desert where the movement of sand dunes can disrupt
track beds. Engineers from Etihad Rail have looked for solutions from China,
which has used plants that can turn sand dunes to clay over 20 to 30 years, and
Saudi Arabia, which has sand-sucking locomotives that push sand particles away from
the engine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Persuading people to travel by train in a region where rail
transport has been seen as down-market and unappealing may also be an issue. Colin
Best, editor of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>MENA Rail News</u></i>
business website, told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>The Middle East</u></i>
that each country has different reasons for developing its rail infrastructure,
whether to relieve major road congestion in capitals such as Riyadh and Doha,
to cater for professionals in new residential areas such as Lusail in Qatar, or
to transport pilgrims to and from Mecca, “where the influx of visitors is
substantial and the number of buses required has started to become a logistical
nightmare”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while public-private partnerships are increasingly
helping to fund the huge costs of GCC rail projects, the credit crunch and its
consequences have diminished the willingness of banks to finance long-term
projects. Not all the rail projects proposed may be able to amass the expected
level of private funding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Other essentials to building a seamless GCC-wide regional
rail network include developing individual country networks according to
uniform standards and specifications, ensuring interoperability and
streamlining and harmonizing customs procedures.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As David Lupton, transport economist and a former project
manager of the GCC rail feasibility study, told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Reuters</u></i> news agency in October 2012, “a key challenge is
ensuring that the railways being built do actually connect… I get the
impression that national priorities may dominate.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-42229014654821353712013-03-12T10:10:00.000-07:002013-03-12T10:13:01.209-07:00Middle East renewable energy projects seek investors<br />
<br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By Peter Feuilherade</span></em><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The largely
untapped potential of abundant solar resources in the Middle East and North
Africa region is attracting increasing investment in several renewable energy
projects. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnX-WC2oFg4/UT9bGku8qAI/AAAAAAAAAKg/eBpz1FP-9Ew/s1600/Masdar+city+UAE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SnX-WC2oFg4/UT9bGku8qAI/AAAAAAAAAKg/eBpz1FP-9Ew/s320/Masdar+city+UAE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Masdar "smart city" takes shape in Abu Dhabi</em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>This article was first published in </em><a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/current_issue.php"><em>The Middle East </em></a><em>magazine, March 2013</em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil producing states in particular are looking for ways of reducing
their own dependence on diminishing fossil fuels. Another incentive is that
they can earn far more by exporting their oil instead of using it domestically.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Energy
consumption in the Middle East has grown rapidly in the last five years,
increasing by 22% between 2007 and 2011. The International Energy Agency (IEA)
forecasts that the region’s energy demands will quadruple by 2050. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the
main factors behind the region’s ever-increasing consumption of electricity is
population growth, which the IAE puts at around 1.5% a year. According to the
World Energy Council, a UN-accredited organization, the Gulf region alone will
require 100 gigawatts (GW) of additional power by 2020 to meet increased
demand, running at 7.7% annually.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2011
global renewable energy investment reached a record $257 billion, although the MENA
region accounted for only $5.5 billion, just over 2 per cent of the total.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Political and
social turmoil led to investment across the MENA renewable energy sector
plummeting by 18 per cent from 2010, despite constantly increasing demand for
electricity fuelled by rising populations, growing urbanization and economic
growth driven by industrialization. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, as
a 2012 report by Ernst & Young noted, “many countries in the region are
seeking to increase the proportion of renewable energy in their generation mix
as they seek to reduce local consumption of fossil fuels, meet ever-increasing
local demand, and even start to diversify their economies away from
hydrocarbons.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At least 10
solar energy projects worth a combined $6.8 billion are currently under way in
Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Kuwait and Oman, according to research
specialists Ventures Middle East.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjLS9_HcL1o/UT9gWa0oA5I/AAAAAAAAAKo/GD9poDCPV-M/s1600/Morocco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjLS9_HcL1o/UT9gWa0oA5I/AAAAAAAAAKo/GD9poDCPV-M/s320/Morocco.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Morocco solar energy project (Photo: Global Arab Network)</em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three years
ago Morocco invested $9 billion in a national solar plan whose long-term aim is
to provide nearly 40% of the country’s energy needs. It is now looking for
another $1.25 billion in funding for a concentrated solar power (CSP) project,
of which a quarter has been provided by the African Development Bank, with the
World Bank and the European Investment Bank also participating.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Masdar, the renewable
energy company backed by the government of Abu Dhabi, the UAE's richest emirate,
invests in clean energy technologies either directly or through venture capital
or private equity funds. As well as its 100-MW CSP plant in Abu Dhabi, Masdar
runs solar power plants in Spain and a 1,000-MW offshore wind farm in the UK.
And the UAE is developing a photovoltaic solar project in Dubai which will
require investment of some $3.5 billion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oman, another
front-runner in the Middle East renewable energy field, plans to produce 10% of
its total electricity requirement from renewable energy resources by 2020 and
is working with German investors to manufacture solar panels locally for
domestic use and export.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ambitious plans <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saudi Arabia
and the UAE are forecast to lead the generation of renewable energy in MENA,
but other countries have ambitious plans too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Saudi Arabia
is seeking investors for a $110 billion solar power programme over the next two
decades to produce 41 GW by 2032, of which 25 GW would be produced from solar
thermal plants and the rest generated from photovoltaic panels.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Qatar is
building a $1.1 billion solar-grade polysilicon production plant intended to be
the foundation of the country’s solar industry, providing materials for the
manufacture of solar panels. The stadiums where Qatar will host the 2022
football World Cup in intense summer heat will use solar energy to power their
climate control systems.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And Iraq,
despite having the world’s fourth-largest oil reserves, is to spend up to $1.6
billion on solar and wind power plants over the next three years to add 400 MW
to the national grid to help curb daily power cuts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Setbacks<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But the MENA
renewable energy sector has suffered setbacks too. In late 2012, the German
technology giants Siemens and Bosch pulled out of Desertec, a Munich-based $
500 billion initiative which plans to produce electricity from huge solar
thermal power plants in the Middle East and North Africa to supply some of the
energy needs of the region and Europe too. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87VVtGxRZBY/UT9gitSW0BI/AAAAAAAAAKw/KX5-XfJGIB8/s1600/DESERTEC-Map_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-87VVtGxRZBY/UT9gitSW0BI/AAAAAAAAAKw/KX5-XfJGIB8/s320/DESERTEC-Map_large.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Desertec - mired after five years</em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The German multinationals cited
economic factors for their withdrawal from the venture, which has achieved
little on the ground since it was launched five years ago. And persistent
political instability in parts of the region was also blamed for waning
interest in Desertec by many European governments, some of them, like Spain,
more concerned by the crises in their own ailing economies. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, new
private partners have expressed interest in joining the project, along with
China's national grid corporation. If the project stays on course, by 2050
these solar power plants could supply up to 15% of Europe's electricity needs
as well as a substantial portion of the power needs of the producer countries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Highly attractive” for investors<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
renewable targets set by some MENA countries are certainly ambitious. Egypt and
Qatar say they will produce 20% of their energy from renewables by 2020 and
2024 respectively. Algeria has plans to produce 22 GW of power from renewables
between now and 2030. Saudi Arabia has announced targets of 10% by 2020 and
Kuwait 15% by 2030. Only time will tell if these targets are realistic, or rather
a mirage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And while the
MENA region’s potential for renewable energy is huge, so too are the sums
involved. A November 2012 conference paper by experts from Abu Dhabi’s Masdar
Institute estimated that to create another 120 GW of new MENA power generation
capacity by 2017 would require as much as $250 billion, when transmission and
distribution costs were included.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Geopolitical
analyst Jen Alic of Oilprice.com believes the situation in Europe, where some
governments have cut renewable energy subsidies, particularly in the solar
sector, and others are considering cuts, may boost funding for MENA renewable
energy projects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Solar
investors in Spain, German, Italy and the United Kingdom are increasingly open
to seeking opportunities outside Europe in order to survive in a potentially
zero-subsidy environment. On this level, the Middle East is highly attractive.
North Africa is less so, due to regulatory ambiguities and stability concerns,
but the potential is vast for anyone willing to take the risk,” Alic argues. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-73356112817223792852013-01-14T10:21:00.000-08:002013-01-14T10:21:04.195-08:00Foreign investments a vote of confidence in Middle East e-commerce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GEy8n0KN-Uw/UPRJtOXmdOI/AAAAAAAAAJY/DX6NpeBNjWo/s1600/Middle%2BEast%2Be-commerce%2B01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GEy8n0KN-Uw/UPRJtOXmdOI/AAAAAAAAAJY/DX6NpeBNjWo/s320/Middle%2BEast%2Be-commerce%2B01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>By Peter Feuilherade</em></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Continuing broadband
penetration across most of the Middle East and North Africa has not only boosted
the numbers of Facebook and Twitter users but is also a major factor in the
steady growth of <span class="il">e</span>-<span class="il">commerce</span>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><em>This article was first published in <a href="http://www.themiddleeastmagazine.com/">The Middle East </a>magazine, January 2013 issue.<span style="background: yellow; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>
</em></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Electronic commerce,
or e-commerce, is the buying and selling of products and services over the
internet and other electronic systems.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are currently more
than 72 million internet users in Arab countries, who spend an average of two
hours online daily. Euromonitor International forecasts a 54.7 per cent
increase in internet users in the MENA region from 2012 to 2020, as more
content in Arabic becomes available. There are more than 250 million mobile
subscriptions in the region, with Saudi Arabia leading mobile sector growth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Estimates of the
current value of the region’s e-commerce market vary considerably. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Jordan-based
Arab Advisors Group puts the value of e-commerce related transactions in the
Middle East at about $11 billion a year. The global e-commerce business PayPal,
which launched its Middle East operations in November 2012, is similarly
optimistic, estimating e‑commerce in MENA to be worth $9 billion in 2012.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A study by Visa and Interactive Media reported much
lower figures, albeit based on data from 2010. It said that the UAE led the way
among the Gulf states in e-commerce spending, with sales reaching about $2
billion in 2010, accounting for 55 to 60 per cent of total GCC e‑commerce
sales. Saudi Arabia was the second largest market, with an estimated $520
million, followed by Qatar ($375 million), Kuwait ($280 million), Bahrain ($175
million) and Oman ($70 million).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But according to
Euromonitor, online shoppers in three key markets - the UAE, Saudi Arabia and
Egypt - spent just over $1 billion on internet retail sites in 2011, a figure
expected to double by 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since only 15 per cent
of businesses in the region have an online presence (according to Google), the
take-up of e-commerce has been slow. And with many consumers still wary of
paying for goods online, 70 per cent of the region’s e-commerce deals are cash-on-delivery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the words of the
New York Times, e-commerce in the Middle East “is still relatively young and
fragmented, extremely capital intensive, and facing logistical hurdles that
have led many sites to shut down… But success stories are now starting to
emerge.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foreign investment<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In recent months international
investors have committed tens of millions of dollars to three of the Middle
East’s largest online retailers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Souq.com, the
region’s largest online retailer with a customer base of eight million, secured
$45 million from Naspers, a South African multinational company, and Tiger
Global, a New York hedge fund. This marked the largest investment made in an e-commerce
and internet business in the Middle East since the 2009 sale of Arabic-language
internet venture Maktoob.com, the largest portal in the Arab world, which was
sold for $165 million to Yahoo!, the second-most popular internet search
engine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">JP Morgan Chase and
Blakeney Management invested $20 </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">million</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> in Namshi, a UAE-based online retailer focusing on
fashion and footwear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And Marka VIP, a sales
site focusing on luxury goods, raised $10 million from multiple international
venture capital firms.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Market leaders <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the GCC, the UAE
is the market leader in </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">e-commerce spending. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">With more
than three-quarters </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">of UAE households having broadband-enabled
computers, the growing number of middle- and high-income consumers online has
driven the growth of internet retail sales.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saudi Arabia not
only leads social gaming consumption and mobile internet subscriptions in the
MENA region, but also ranks second in e‑commerce sales in the GCC region, and
represents the biggest retail sector in the region.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Being able to capture the Saudi Arabian
market is a critical success factor for e-commerce ventures in the Arab region,”
according to Hassan Mikail, regional manager for e-commerce at Aramex, a global
shipping firm based in Amman.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Jordan, a survey by Arab Advisors in April 2012
showed “a significant growth” in e-commerce, with increases in both the number
of people purchasing items online and the amount of money being spent, from $192
million in 2010 to $370 million in 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Egypt, according to Euromonitor, online expenditure
is expected to more than triple in the next four years, with Egyptians spending
as much as $447 million on e-commerce in 2016. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And in
Morocco, again according to Euromonitor, internet retailing was one of the most
dynamic retailing formats in 2011, with current value growth of 18 per cent, albeit
from a low base.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Challenges <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Customer aversion to
online payments, logistics and curbs on regional trade, including complex and </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">different
customs, tax and border regimes are obstacles to MENA e-commerce companies trying
to compete on price with traditional retailers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Egypt, for
example, the Central Bank prohibits sending funds abroad until they are checked
through the Central Bank itself, which usually takes around a week, impeding
the operation of international e-payment services. And as The Economist notes,
concerns about money laundering and financing of terrorist networks mean that new
payment providers “not only have to deal with the usual red tape but also cope
with layers of additional regulation”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There is also a lot
of work ahead to raise consumer awareness about e‑commerce. Historically,
internet users in the Arab world have been more active on news and social media
sites rather than transaction-based websites. Consumer </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">mistrust in
e-commerce</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> is still widespread. A survey by the consultancy Booz
& Company and Google found a </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">general</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> reluctance
to buy goods online because of worries about fake websites or concerns over payment
security and the delivery of purchases. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Another study showed that 45 per cent of credit card
holders in the UAE preferred not to use their cards online because they were
afraid of fraud. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mobile broadband
access charges across most MENA are high by any global standards. In the Gulf
states, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, producers of apps, games and e-books are
looking to cash in on the high ownership levels of web-connected mobile phones
and tablets, but for this to happen, more books and content in Arabic must be
made available. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In spite of these
obstacles, the optimism of e-commerce advocates continues to grow. It is bolstered
by regular forecasts of spectacular growth to come, such as the November 2012
report that online travel bookings in the Middle East are expected to account
for 22 per cent of all travel bookings made in the region within the next two
years, with a total value of $15.8 billion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">In the words of Elias
Ghanem, managing director of PayPal Middle East and North Africa, “mobile and
online commerce is very popular in North America and Europe, but it is still in
its infancy in the Middle East…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
mobile technology is hugely popular and people are gaining confidence in online
retailing here, through exposure to daily deals, private sales, airlines
websites etc.”</span></span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-65345311344334739932012-11-08T08:11:00.000-08:002012-11-08T08:14:25.221-08:00Smart cities rise from the Gulf’s deserts <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With urbanization on the increase around the world, just over half of the planet’s population now live in cities. They also produce 75% of carbon emissions worldwide. As urban populations have mushroomed during the last 50 years, “smart” information and communication technologies (ICTs) have led efforts to improve the efficiency of urban systems and services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cSYGPnSQJE/UJvXKss7pBI/AAAAAAAAAIc/lXHCdWcLmW4/s1600/masdar+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cSYGPnSQJE/UJvXKss7pBI/AAAAAAAAAIc/lXHCdWcLmW4/s1600/masdar+city.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em> Masdar City, UAE</em></span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>
</em></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quest
for sustainable urban development has led to the loosely defined concept of the
“smart city” (also called “digital” or “connected” city). Although Europe and
North America led the way in the 1980s and 90s, attention is turning to Asia
and the Middle East, where the concept is gaining momentum and smart cities are
being built from scratch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This article was first published in <em><strong>The Middle East </strong></em>magazine, July/August 2012 issue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smart cities
use ICT to build new or adapt existing infrastructure, buildings and systems to
make better use of energy and resources in meeting the challenges of climate
change, population growth, demographic change, urbanization and resource depletion,
and contribute to reducing emissions while increasing living standards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A 2011
report from Pike Research, a US firm that analyses global clean technology
markets, forecast that investment in smart city technology infrastructure would
total $108 billion in the decade from 2010 to 2020.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of that period, annual spending
will reach nearly $16 billion, Pike Research anticipates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ali
al-Khulaifi, market development manager at ictQATAR, the country’s telecoms
regulator and technology advocate, defines a smart city as an “intelligent
ecosystem employing integrated technology to provide public and private
services”. They tend to be long-term projects, usually taking between 5-10
years, which require significant investments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the
Middle East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have earmarked more than $63
billion over the next five years for development authorities, infrastructure
companies, governmental and corporate entities to develop smart city projects.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the Arab
Future Cities Summit in Doha in April 2012, participants agreed on the
importance of developing smart and sustainable cities in the Arab region, given
that the majority of the population in the GCC region now live in cities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While global
corporate giants such as IBM, Cisco, Siemens and Orange look for their slice of
the smart city pie,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>commentators also
see social aspects such as investment in human and social capital and
participatory governance as vital elements.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The GCC
countries are leading the way in implementing smart infrastructure developments
in the Middle East, lavishing vast sums in investment and funding for major projects
such as Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, Lusail in Qatar and King Abdullah Economic
City in Saudi Arabia.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Qatar, which
currently has the highest per capita rate of CO2 emissions in the world, is
investing billions in “green” building and solar technologies in a bid to
reduce its carbon footprint. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lusail, an
extension to Doha, is intended to be Qatar’s biggest green field area once it
is completed over the next 15 years. Extending across 38 sq. km, the new city
includes four islands and 19 multi-purpose residential, mixed use,
entertainment and commercial districts. As well as 200,000 permanent residents,
it will have 170,000 employees and 80,000 daily commuters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The promoters of the project describe Lusail
as the “conscience of sustainable development”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Saudi
Arabia, the ambition of Dubai property giant Emaar is to develop its $100
billion King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) project, taking shape 100 km north of
the Red Sea port of Jeddah, into one of the world's most advanced smart cities.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The KAEC
website paints a picture of “seamless integration of state-of-the-art
infrastructure and advanced technology with business and public services”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">KAEC will
include one of the largest ports in the world. It forms part of a $400 billion
plan announced by the Saudi government in 2008 to make the kingdom less
dependent on the oil industry and provide jobs and housing for the 10 million
Saudis under the age of 17. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it is
Masdar City, 17 km from Abu Dhabi, which stands out as the Gulf’s current
landmark smart city. The aim of the developers of the $22 billion project was
to create the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, with the emphasis on
energy efficiency. The 36 sq. km city, designed by British architects Foster +
Partners, incorporated renewable energy and clean technologies as part of its
design. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a
strong emphasis on natural cooling, with streets aligned to provide daytime
shading, parks located to channel prevailing winds into the city, and
traditional Arabic building principles such as wind towers. Exterior materials
and windows were chosen to provide maximum cooling and reduce heat gain in
buildings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Construction
began in 2008, and when it is completed in 2025 the city is expected to accommodate
40,000 residents and 50,000 daily commuters. Conventional cars have been replaced
by public transport using electric pod cars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Masdar City
treats wastewater for landscaping, to reduce the need for desalination, and
uses 54% less water than the average UAE city. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its 10MW
solar-power plant, the largest grid-connected plant of its kind in the Middle
East, is designed to produce more electricity overall than the city consumes,
with excess transferred to the national grid. By 2020, Abu Dhabi aims to
generate at least 7% of its power needs from renewable sources.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every
electrical outlet in the city is monitored, and smart meters collect and
continuously analyse data about power usage to provide an accurate "live"
model of energy use. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smart energy
grids are vital to smart cities. They can reduce peak demand for electricity by
providing information and incentives to consumers, allowing them to shift
consumption to other periods.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smart
metering is key to the effective operation of smart energy grids. The
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Geneva-based global
standards organization for all areas of electrotechnology, maintains that
without accurate measurement it is not possible to demonstrate energy
efficiency improvements credibly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The UAE
currently leads the smart meter market in the Middle East and North African region.
A June 2012 report by Northeast Group, a Washington-based market intelligence
firm, projected that MENA countries could save between $300 million and $1
billion every year by adopting smart grids to incorporate renewable energy
sources, cope with rising demand and reduce energy losses on networks. The
report predicted that capital spending in the MENA smart metering market would
rise to $3.9 billion by 2022, with smart meters installed in 86% of homes in
the Gulf.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But while
conspicuous energy consumption remains a feature of Abu Dhabi, Masdar comes
across more as a development project rather than an environmental one. And
other regions of the world, such as Europe, are still ahead of the GCC in using
real-time data systems to collect data on water and power usage and increase
user awareness in environmentally friendly smart homes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, given
the enormous financial resources of the Gulf states, why are there relatively
few smart cities in development in the region?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Andrew
Nusca, editor of the US-based website SmartPlanet, believes that while the Gulf
states have considerable wealth, traditionally they have not been good at
distributing it throughout the population or investing in public works projects
that enable wealth generation. He told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.exacteditions.com/read/middle-east/august-september-2012-32306/3/2?dps=on">The Middle East</a></i>: “By definition, the term ‘smart city’ denotes not just
physical capital - infrastructure - but intellectual and social capital, too. That
can't happen until the Gulf states begin to give their own people the tools to
generate economic benefit for themselves and the state. That kind of progress
takes generations to materialize, which is why we're only seeing the beginnings
of this in the Middle East today.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-8896775737829951242012-06-19T11:32:00.000-07:002012-06-19T11:33:42.080-07:00The Pentagon's "shadow wars" in Africa<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By Peter
Feuilherade<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">America's new and still-evolving defence strategy is
strongly focused on Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, as well as heralding a
new phase of restraint in military spending. Over the next 10 years the
Pentagon faces budget cuts of 487 billion dollars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On his first visit to Japan as Pentagon
chief in October 2011, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said America would
remain a global economic and military power despite the cuts, and the
Asia-Pacific region would be central to US national security strategy.
Washington's shift in focus towards Asia is in response to China's growing military
power.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">But the expanding US military presence in Africa suggests
that Washington is also increasingly concerned about the expansion of
transnational terrorism into sub-Saharan Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This article was first published in <a href="http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=9Jt0Bb130M6y&EID=bf81b1c6-a900-48d9-8f62-8766788adbeb&skip=">Defence Management Journal</a> – Summer 2012 issue<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G4igyUkJgeU/T-DDRpB6QyI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/U4wcuPZaOD0/s1600/Africom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G4igyUkJgeU/T-DDRpB6QyI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/U4wcuPZaOD0/s320/Africom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">U.S. and Mozambican Marines train together in Maputo - Photo: U.S. Africa Command (Africom)</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">US forces or advisers are active in the Horn of Africa,
East and Central Africa, while in at least 10 countries in the Maghreb, the
Sahel and West Africa US personnel are providing counterterrorism training and
building up national armies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Countering extremists is the top military priority for
the continent, says General Carter Ham, commander of the US Africa Command
(Africom), which oversees US military operations across the continent but is based
in Stuttgart, Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Africom<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the biggest US
base in Africa, hosts the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, set up a
decade ago to counter Al-Qaeda's growth in East Africa. "By 2003, the CIA
and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command were also establishing an
operational presence in the Horn. Their mission was focused on killing or
capturing senior members of Al-Qaeda in East Africa," recalls Sean D.
Naylor, senior staff writer of the US website <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Army Times</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2008 saw the operational launch of Africom, responsible
for US military relations with 54 African countries. With President George W.
Bush facing almost unanimous opposition from African leaders to hosting it on
the continent, its HQ was located in Germany instead. Africom's mission, its website
notes, is to "protect and defend the national security interests of the
United States by strengthening the defense capabilities of African states and
regional organizations and, when directed, conduct military operations, in
order to deter and defeat transnational threats and to provide a security
environment conducive to good governance and development." Africom typically
has fewer than 5,000 troops in Africa at any time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Drones<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The US media spotlight turned briefly to
Africa in 2011 when the US sent 100 military advisers, mostly Army Special
Forces, to help soldiers from four Central African countries - Uganda, Congo,
South Sudan and the Central African Republic - fight the rebel Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) and capture its leader Joseph Kony. But for several years, the
US Air Force has been flying drones over north-east Africa and Yemen from bases
in Djibouti and more recently southern Ethiopia and the Seychelles. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In combating the Somalia-based Islamic
insurgent group Al-Shabaab, only a handful of US troops are involved directly,
usually special forces who enter the country on clandestine missions to kill
militant targets. However, America has funded 9,000 African Union troops from
Uganda and Burundi, and provided background support to invading<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenyan and Ethiopian troops, all involved in
military operations against Al-Shabaab.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In March 2012, the Africom chief told the US House of
Representatives Armed Services Committee that Al-Qaeda affiliates in east and
north-west Africa posed the greatest security threat to the US. Noting that Al-Qaeda
and Al-Shabaab (which has recruited and trained dozens of American citizens) had
publicly formalized their long-standing merger, he described the stated intention
of the leaders of these extremist groups to work more closely together as
"his greatest concern".<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unholy trinity<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the other side of the continent, the US is
conducting counterterrorism training and equipping armies in Algeria, Burkina
Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia. US
involvement could escalate if events confirm reports that some members of Al-Qaeda's
core leadership have moved to North Africa from Pakistan after suffering heavy
losses in US drone attacks there.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">US officials say there are "clear
indications" that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is involved in
trafficking arms from Libya, and that the upheavals in Libya and Tunisia have
created opportunities for AQIM to establish new "safe havens". The US,
along with several European countries, is concerned that AQIM and Boko Haram, the
militant group from northern Nigeria formed in the 1990s, together with Al-Shabaab,
are "attempting to share training and to collaborate in other ways in
pursuit of their goal of attacking the US and other foreign targets",
according to a September 2011 speech by General Ham. Some analysts dismiss such
an alliance as unlikely, given the cultural and ethnic differences that
separate the three groups.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Both AQIM and separatist Tuareg insurgents in northern
Mali opposed to the Malian government received sophisticated weapons from Libya
in 2011, allowing Tuareg rebels to resume armed operations inside Mali in
January 2012. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In March, a group of Malian junior officers angered by
the lack of government support to help the army fight the rebels seized control
in a coup, before agreeing to the return of civilian rule in mid-April. At the
time of writing, rebel groups remained in control of northern Mali, their ranks
reportedly swelled by foreign Islamist militants. The whole country was also
mired in a regional humanitarian crisis, with over 1.4 million Malians in need
of emergency food assistance, according to EU estimates.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The New York Times recently described Mali as "an
impoverished desert nation, an important American ally against the regional
Al-Qaeda franchise". Mounting insecurity there, and fears that destabilization
could spread to Niger and elsewhere in the Sahel region, suggest that the
American military mission in Mali is likely to have its work cut out combating
regional terrorism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The US will share similar concerns to France, which has
warned that the seizure of northern Mali by Tuareg separatists, in a loose
alliance with Islamic militants, could turn the region into an AQIM stronghold.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oil rush<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">US military operations in Africa face a
range of difficulties, including a lack of bases and international agreements
on flight paths, limited communications and the reluctance of many African
countries to have any significant US force within their borders. One option
for3the US is increasing the use of sea-based intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the Pentagon cuts back on traditional
military operations in the post-Iraq and Afghan war era and after defence
budget cuts kick in, it will rely increasingly on smaller elite units to carry
out targeted operations. US special operations forces (SOF) will expand to maintain
a continuous presence around the globe. SOF will "begin to return to its
roots as expert trainers of counter-terrorism forces in other countries",
with a large portion of the worldwide SOF presence focusing on Africa and the
Pacific, according to Pentagon officials. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, public opinion and legislators in
the US are concerned about the costs of military forays into Africa at a time
of budget cuts, while the deployment of advisers has prompted comparisons with
the escalation of US involvement in South Vietnam in the 1960s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In Africa, the growing US presence is regarded with
some suspicion too. "After the Libyan case of 2011 (the imposition of the
no-fly zone) some African leaders, intellectuals and policy makers are
advocating for change in the way international organizations or individual
states intervene in African political crises. Some issues that make Africans
suspicious about US involvement include the increased deployments of special
forces, trainers and military contractors by the Pentagon, and the political
objectives behind some of the interventions," Dr Petrus De Kock, Senior
Researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs, told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Defence Management Journal</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">America's critics, meanwhile, see Africa becoming a
battleground where the US and its European allies are jostling for access to the
continent's strategic oil and mineral resources with China, which has been
striking commercial deals with governments across Africa for decades.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The last few years have seen significant new oil and
natural gas discoveries reported across East Africa, from the Horn of Africa in
the northeast, down to Tanzania and Mozambique in the south, and inland in
Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo around Lake Albert. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As Africom chief General Ham said in March 2012:
"With six of the world's fastest growing economies in the past decade,
combined with democratic gains made in a number of African nations in 2011,
Africa's strategic importance to the United States will continue to grow."<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For all parties involved, the stakes are high and
rising.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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</span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-75928353444650642542012-06-19T10:54:00.000-07:002012-06-19T10:57:33.541-07:00RAF warplanes keep 2012 Cosford Air Show crowds on their feet<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Despite recent job cuts in the UK's armed forces, the RAF brings the past and the present together and puts on a great display at the 2012 Cosford air show on Sunday 17 June.<br /><br />This story was first published on </span><a href="http://suite101.com/article/raf-warplanes-keep-2012-cosford-air-show-crowds-on-their-feet-a408916"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Suite101</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>Avro Lancaster bomber at Cosford - Photo: Peter Feuilherade</em></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Frontline
Royal Air Force (RAF) jets that recently saw service in Afghanistan and Libya as
well as historic and iconic aircraft from earlier conflicts were in action
again at the Cosford Air Show this week. The annual display, which was seen by
some 40,000 people this year, is the biggest in the West Midlands and one of only
three RAF officially endorsed shows. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The highlights
included high speed displays by an RAF 6<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> Squadron Eurofighter Typhoon
and two Tornado attack aircraft. Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s and Tornados both
served in operations over Libya in 2011, and Tornados are currently deployed in
Afghanistan to carry out reconnaissance missions and provide close air support
for Coalition troops on the ground.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A fly-past
by an Avro Lancaster bomber and a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial
flight evoked thoughts of the UK’s aviation heritage, as spectators remembered
all the RAF personnel who had served in previous conflicts, particularly World
War Two.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As well as a
display by the ever-popular Red Arrows aerobatics team, the Cosford air show
was also one of the last chances to see a flypast by an RAF Vickers VC10
tanker/transport before the aircraft’s imminent retirement from service. In
March 2013 the RAF will stop operating its VC10 fleet, which was first deployed
in 1966. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: x-small;"><em>Red Arrows at Cosford - Photo: Peter Feuilherade</em></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But as RAF
staff at Cosford celebrated the 2012 air show’s success, they also reflected
sombrely on the impact of the latest round of redundancies in the UK armed
forces announced just a few days previously. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nine hundred posts are being cut from
the RAF, as well as 2,900 from the Army and 300 from the Royal Navy. The job
losses are part of the largest personnel cutbacks for more than two decades.
Those affected include members of all three services with experience of fighting
in two Gulf Wars, peacekeeping in Bosnia and Kosovo and counter-insurgency in
Iraq and Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-77531704340625223962012-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:002012-06-19T10:35:03.405-07:00Online is a game changer for amusement machines<h2 class="etech" style="padding-top: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gaming goes for the personal touch</span></h2>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rUwcYrqYQE/T-Czdq33ixI/AAAAAAAAAHg/smPYBaVfNeY/s1600/ind-1_Arcade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3rUwcYrqYQE/T-Czdq33ixI/AAAAAAAAAHg/smPYBaVfNeY/s1600/ind-1_Arcade.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By Peter Feuilherade</span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">First published in the Geneva-based International Electrotechnical Commission magazine and website </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2012/etech_0612/ind-1.htm"><span style="font-size: large;">e-tech</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> in June 2012</span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While the irresistible global rise of online entertainment is bringing rapid change to the market for commercial amusement machines, businesses are also readjusting to the combined pressures of economic recession and regulatory change. A number of IEC TCs (Technical Committees) and SCs (Subcommittees) prepare International Standards for the systems and devices used in amusement machines found in public places. These make a significant contribution to an industry with a global value projected to exceed USD 110 billion in 2016.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multiple machines to meet multiple needs</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Amusement machines are electro-mechanical appliances found in public places. They include gaming machines, arcade video games, driving simulators, laser shooting appliances, pinball machines, "kiddie rides" and billiard tables.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Modern pay-to-play machines are no longer confined to amusement arcades. Increasingly they are found in bars, clubs, hotels and sports centres as well as being available for domestic and corporate entertainment hire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Electronic gaming is a globally popular pastime for many people. Electronic games can be defined as interactive games that are played on arcade machines, consoles, computers and mobile devices such as phones and tablets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Video-based multiplayer digital terminals with touchscreen technology offer combinations of fun games, card games and skill games. The market for "skill with prizes" machines is one of the fastest growing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are also gaming machines without prizes, score game and touch-screen machines, video games, driving simulators, pinball machines and laser simulated systems for shooting and other sports such as basketball, golf and archery. Electronic machines offer sports such as billiards, darts and football or air hockey. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SnE5cznQl0/T-Cz5sjJD7I/AAAAAAAAAHw/U_UDztKmE8o/s1600/ind-1_air-hockey-tabletop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SnE5cznQl0/T-Cz5sjJD7I/AAAAAAAAAHw/U_UDztKmE8o/s1600/ind-1_air-hockey-tabletop.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Games played in amusement arcades have been steadily losing their appeal since the appearance of home consoles in the mid-1980s started the trend towards more personalized gaming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Several IEC TCs and SCs develop standards for the components used in amusement machines.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IEC TC 61</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Safety of household and similar electrical appliances, plays a central role. It prepares product standards and safety requirements for electrical appliances primarily for household purposes, but also for other equipment and appliances in similar fields in which there is no dedicated IEC technical committee. Its responsibilities include drawing up specific requirements for the safety of electric commercial amusement machines whose rated voltage does not exceed 250 V for single-phase and 480 V for other appliances. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The usual safety standards for household electrical appliances apply to amusement machines. They include requirements and test criteria to cover hazards such as electric shock; thermal hazards (burns, overheated surrounds, insulation); mechanical hazards (cutting, crushing, explosion); appliances that catch fire owing to internal faults; radiation and toxicity (non-ionizing radiation and poisonous gases). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The growing use of electronic circuits (including programmable elements) for the provision of safety related functions and to enable remote control and remote servicing of electrical appliances through telecommunications networks is leading to improvements in design, construction and safety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cost is a major factor</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The traditional arcade cabinets have been superseded by HD flat screen gaming platforms and simulator-style cockpit units that can cost from USD 10 000 to 25 000 or more. Many arcade owners are unwilling to invest such large sums in buying the latest top-range video arcade game machine that may only have a shelf life of a few seasons – not long enough to pay off its cost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the electronic content of amusement machines expands, other IEC TCs and SCs play a role in developing standards relevant to the industry, such as for the sensors used in amusement machines, the motion sensors in arcade video games and safety and overload sensors in kiddie rides. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IEC International Standards that cover sensors and their operation include the </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/functionalsafety/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IEC 61508 series</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, Functional Safety, developed by </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1369"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SC 65A</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Industrial-process measurement, control and automation, and </span><a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/ArtNum_PK/46400?OpenDocument"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IEC 61757</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, Fibre optic sensors, developed by </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1403"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SC 86C</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Fibre optic systems and active devices. </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1264"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TC 76</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Optical radiation safety and laser equipment and </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1251"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TC 47</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">: Semiconductor devices, also deal with sensors used in amusement machines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not only has the home market for video games taken over, but consumers are now moving online as the costs of consoles and handheld gaming devices continue to rise, while downloading has become more accessible. The mobile market, particularly in terms of smartphones, has become a growth area for games.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whither the pinball machine…</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">US firms dominated pinball machine manufacturing in the 1950 70s, when the popularity of this entertainment was at its peak. Now there are only a few US manufacturers in the global market, while some Chinese companies make generic pinball machines, largely for domestic sales and export to markets outside the US. Since the 1980s, pinball has become electronic, digitized and licensed. Modern pinball machines combine video graphics with mechanical action, often based on licensed themes associated with popular video games, films and toys. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Children first…</span></span></h3>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbpubtcfCBQ/T-CzsBpoXCI/AAAAAAAAAHo/dEkXjMNsbaM/s1600/ind-1_kiddie_ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tbpubtcfCBQ/T-CzsBpoXCI/AAAAAAAAAHo/dEkXjMNsbaM/s1600/ind-1_kiddie_ride.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coin-operated amusement rides for small children, known as kiddie rides, are usually located in amusement parks, shopping centres, supermarkets and fast-food restaurants. Most rides include sounds and music, sometimes with adjustable volume control; some feature flashing lights, pedals and buttons. Modern rides may have a solid state audio playback device similar to flash-based MP3 players. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The highest standards of safety are of the utmost importance in the design and construction of kiddie rides as children do not receive adequate prior training in the rides’ use. This involves looking for child-specific mechanical and other hazards that could result from operation of the appliances, such as crushing as a result of pinch points that may be encountered on the rides.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Precautions commonly found include a button that allows the ride to be paused, safety sensors that detect if anything obstructs the ride's movement and which cause it to stop, overload sensors that stop the ride if the weight limit is exceeded, and a slow start/stop action so that younger riders are not alarmed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> To ensure these machines are safe, </span><a href="http://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:0::::FSP_ORG_ID:1236"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">TC 61</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> published </span><a href="http://webstore.iec.ch/webstore/webstore.nsf/artnum/041683!opendocument"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">IEC 60335-2-82</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety, which deals specifically with Particular requirements for amusement machines and personal service machines.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Global but fragmented markets</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the words of the </span><a href="http://content.yudu.com/A1tmum/EuroslotReport11/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroslot-online.com%2Fnews%2Fcategoryfront.php%2Fid%2F28%2FIndustry_News.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Euroslot World Market Report 2011-12</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">, there is no "global" market for gaming and amusements, but rather "a motley assembly of national markets" shaped by national or regional characteristics. The economic downturn, however, is affecting nearly every corner of the industry, especially traditional parts of the amusement sector which are already in slow decline because of the rise of e gaming. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The industry, as well as the manufacturers of amusement machines and associated products, have to contend not only with "the many commercial advantages of using the internet as a platform for gambling and entertainment, but also with the increasing ubiquity of smartphones as the means of delivery", says the report's editor Barnaby Page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A September 2011 report by US-based </span><a href="http://www.bccresearch.com/report/electronic-games-gaming-markets-ift052b.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BCC Research</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> put the global total value of the electronic gaming industry in 2011 at around USD 69,9 billion for games and software, hardware and accessories and services. The report forecast that the total would rise to USD 111,8 billion in 2016.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Italy is Europe’s biggest gaming market, with video lottery terminals (VLTs), Amusement Machines with Prizes (AWPs), casinos and online poker all creating vast profits for licence holders and increased revenue for the government. Since the regulation of VLTs in 2010 to bring in revenue for the Italian government's rebuilding efforts following the Abruzzo earthquake, VLTs have been at the forefront of a gaming revolution, with prizes of up to EUR 500 000 on offer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In Germany, there is great concern about the threat posed by the first state legislation on amusement arcades, which manufacturers, distributors and arcade operators say will have ruinous consequences. Nevertheless, the coin-operated amusement devices market is projected to exceed USD 1,6 billion in Germany by 2015. AWPs represent the most popular coin-operated devices. New installations, however, are declining for Amusement Devices without Prizes, especially for score game and pinball devices, which have both dropped in popularity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the USA, coin-operated amusement devices were the staple of video arcades in the 1970s and 1980s. The growing popularity and advancing technology of home gaming systems has now led to the almost total demise of large arcades targeted at young customers. They have been replaced by family entertainment centres, offering casual dining facilities coupled with large game rooms geared to a range of ages, including younger and older children and adults, and gambling operations, including casinos, horse racing tracks and, in some states, slot machines which compete with casinos. Slot machines have become so popular that they provide 70% to 75% of casino revenues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Asia has become the largest gambling region in the world, overtaking Europe and North America. Most of the profits are derived from casino operations, which are set to provide a lucrative export opportunity for manufacturers of the relevant kinds of amusement machines. The UK company, Global Betting and Gaming Consultants (GBGC), predicts that by 2015, Asia's casinos will account for 48% of the global market, thanks to continuing growth in Macau and Singapore as well as new operations in the Philippines and Vietnam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">PWC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) broadly concurs, predicting that by 2015, Asia Pacific will account for 43,4% of global spending on casino gaming, with the US accounting for 40,1%. This is on top of rising spending on online gaming. The big question is whether online gaming revenues will add to existing offline revenues, or will cannibalize them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The popularity of gambling, and the spread of online betting, has been accompanied by a fall in demand across most of Asia for electronic coin-operated amusement centres and arcade-type amusement machines. In India, for example, this sector was estimated to be worth less than USD 200 million in 2011..</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The future </span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">More than 40 years have passed since the launch of the first coin-operated video game in 1971. Now the video game sector has evolved into a popular and diverse market that has outgrown its original amusement trade confines. The collapse of the traditional arcade business in many countries has sidelined video amusement machines to the role of generators of secondary revenue for larger entertainment complexes, especially in the US.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But manufacturers of amusement machines and video lottery terminals can still look forward to expanding markets in Asia, where casino gaming is set for huge growth as the affluent middle classes seek new forms of entertainment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The newest innovations in video-based multiplayer digital terminals combine features of computer gaming, such as dynamic playing fields and gaming levels, with the social interaction and palpable playing pieces of conventional multiplayer board games, such as pawns and dice. This has led to a number of partnerships between electronics companies and games vendors and developers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Manufacturers of these products cite the tangible and visual interaction among users, including the option to incorporate social networking elements, as one of their main features. More intuitive amusement machines offering greater "gestural experiences" are also in development. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of these machines, which drive an industry with a global value expected to grow by nearly 60% between 2011 and 2016, rely on the work of several IEC TCs and their standards.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-72293327861970344222012-04-11T12:30:00.000-07:002012-04-11T12:30:53.369-07:00Electric bikes gaining ground worldwide<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "ETECH_NR_SUBTITLE" --><h2 class="etech" style="padding-top: 10px;"> </h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqDK4yNU2QA/T4XZABLvSgI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NfUH_-W7zpU/s1600/IEC+VeloSolex+Black+Red+profil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqDK4yNU2QA/T4XZABLvSgI/AAAAAAAAAHI/NfUH_-W7zpU/s320/IEC+VeloSolex+Black+Red+profil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="etech" style="padding-top: 10px;"><br />
</div><div class="etech_intro"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VeloSolex e-bicycle</span></em></div><div class="etech_intro"><br />
</div><div class="etech_intro"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sales of electric cycles are soaring in Asia and several European markets, with consumers attracted by the cheaper purchase and maintenance costs, absence of exhaust emissions and the reduced noise associated with these energy-efficient modes of transport in comparison with petrol-driven alternatives. </span></div><div class="etech_intro"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "NEWSLOG_NR_BODY" --><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> While most electric bicycles (e-bikes), scooters and motorcycles sold globally are used for short-distance daily commuting, other uses include deliveries of post, food orders or other goods, meter reading, police and security patrols, and transport around large sites such as airports, warehouses, factories and hotel complexes. Purchases by leisure customers in Europe and North America are on the rise too. </span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Msg5kiNKiX0/T4XZs1CHHZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/qkCTl0JQnhg/s1600/IEC+Tuk+Tuk-47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Msg5kiNKiX0/T4XZs1CHHZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/qkCTl0JQnhg/s320/IEC+Tuk+Tuk-47.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tuk Tuk - Made in Holland</span></em></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnO31Brbfzk/T4XaGkKdazI/AAAAAAAAAHY/QBipjes0Luo/s1600/IEC+Brutus+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnO31Brbfzk/T4XaGkKdazI/AAAAAAAAAHY/QBipjes0Luo/s1600/IEC+Brutus+2.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Born in the USA - Brutus 2 electric motorcycle prototype</span></em></div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div align="left"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read the full text of my April 2012 article on <a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2012/etech_0412/ind-1.htm">e-tech</a>, the website of the International Electrotechnical Commission in Geneva.</span></div><div align="left"><br />
</div>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-12912184269911083042012-03-29T11:13:00.000-07:002012-03-29T11:13:42.199-07:00Blists Hill, Ironbridge - a reminder of our industrial heritage<div style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
</div><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>March 2012 marked the centenary of the closure of the Blists Hill blast furnaces, which are today iconic ruins at the heart of the award-winning Ironbridge Gorge Museum, showcasing the relics of the cradle of the Industrial Revolution.</em></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>I am now a volunteer guide at Blists Hill Victorian Town, and this is the story of these remarkable structures and the seismic impact of the shutdown on the local community back in March 1912:</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>This story was published in the </em></span><a href="http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/03/28/a-reminder-of-our-industrial-heritage/#ixzz1qWuQUoU8"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Shropshire Star </em></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>on 28 March 2012</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>The Blast Furnaces in the late 1890s (Photo: Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust)</em></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It was 100 years ago this week that the Madeley Wood Company shut down its three blast furnaces at Blists Hill for the last time, after eight decades of iron production at the site.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now part of the Blists Hill Victorian Town museum, the remains of the furnaces are one of the most defining features of the Ironbridge Gorge, and a major industrial monument.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When they were closed in 1912, several hundred men lost their livelihood, causing major disruption to the local community. The closure happened during a five-week national coal mining strike in support of a minimum wage for miners, adding to the atmosphere of industrial unrest and social discontent. Across Shropshire, hundreds of workers in other industries, such as gasworks and railways, were temporarily out of work because of coal shortages. Weeks of wintry weather added discomfort to their economic distress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"In consequence of the Blists Hill Furnaces having been blown out, upwards of 200 workmen have been thrown out of employment," the Wellington Journal and Shrewsbury News reported at the time. Alderman A. B. Dyas, speaking at a public meeting in Madeley on 25<sup>th</sup> March 1912, said he was "sorry for the poor people thrown out of work through the blowing out of the furnaces, and he could see nothing but the workhouse staring them in the face".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The furnaces produced iron for 80 years after they were built between 1832 and 1844. The Madeley Wood Company, formed in 1756, had previously operated the two Bedlam blast furnaces alongside the River Severn, a mile west of Blists Hill. The company was run by the Anstice family, influential in the history of the Gorge, and held mineral leases in Madeley Parish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By the 18th century, the mining of clay, coal and iron ore was well established at Blists Hill. The missing ingredient required for iron-making - limestone – was widely available nearby, with deposits at Lincoln Hill near Coalbrookdale, and further afield at Wellington and Wenlock Edge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The completion of the Shropshire Canal and the building of the Hay Inclined Plane in the early 1790s provided a means of bringing in limestone and transporting finished goods from Blists Hill. But it was not until four decades later that the Madeley Wood Company built the first blast furnace there in 1832, adding another two in 1840 and 1844.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Originally the furnaces were conical structures, made of refractory brick clad with wrought iron plates, and stood about 50 feet high, on brick and stone bases. Huge blowing engines on either side blasted air into the furnaces. The original engine house, to the north of the furnaces, was demolished around 1873, when the engine house that visitors see today was constructed. The south engine house dates from 1840.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_VYVhoqBm8E/T3SkSe730MI/AAAAAAAAAHA/81Wrm2t1UO4/s1600/Feb+2012+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_VYVhoqBm8E/T3SkSe730MI/AAAAAAAAAHA/81Wrm2t1UO4/s320/Feb+2012+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Blast Furnaces in February 2012 </span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each engine blasted 12,500 cubic feet of air (the size of a large detached house) every minute into the furnace, supplying oxygen to the fuel and making it burn with an intense heat. The coke (produced by baking coal at high temperatures), iron ore and limestone were transformed into molten iron and a mix of waste products, or slag. Most of the iron was poured into a large central trench with smaller trenches running off it, resembling a sow and her piglets – hence the term "pig iron" – while the rest was cast on site to make pots and pans. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In their heyday the furnaces would have run continuously day and night, stopping only for repairs or lack of demand. Iron continued to be produced at Blists Hill until 1912, although by then the industry in Shropshire was in decline as steel production had taken over since the 1880s. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few years after the furnaces were taken out of service, the First World War broke out and Blists Hill lay derelict for decades. In the 1960s, the slag from the furnaces was used as hard core for building Britain's first motorways. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum carried out major repairs on the site in the 1970s and again in 1993.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Today, although only the bases of the furnaces remain, they continue to impress visitors to Blists Hill, and are a striking reminder of the Gorge's rich industrial heritage.</span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-35304332405926619842012-02-02T08:52:00.000-08:002012-02-02T08:52:32.999-08:00Refugee Tides Surge Across Arab World<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Arab Spring - or Arab Awakening, as many in the Arab world prefer to call it - resulted in massive movements of refugees and displaced people across the Middle East and North Africa. More than a million people, most of them foreign workers, fled Libya after the uprising against Colonel Gaddafi’s rule broke out in February 2011. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE MIDDLE EAST MAGAZINE (LONDON), JAN-FEB 2012 ISSUE</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpaS0TRMBJM/Tyq9h8c2XYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Ob9zMVFMvno/s1600/Syrian-refugees-in-Turkey-The+Guardian+June+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VpaS0TRMBJM/Tyq9h8c2XYI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Ob9zMVFMvno/s320/Syrian-refugees-in-Turkey-The+Guardian+June+2011.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><em>Syrian refugees in Turkey, 2011 - Photo: The Guardian</em><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There have been mass movements elsewhere in the region too. The unrest in Syria has driven refugees to seek sanctuary in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, itself host to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees for the past eight years. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And according to the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 287,000 people fleeing the worsening drought and decades of conflict in Somalia have escaped to neighbouring countries, bringing the total number of Somali refugees in the region to 950,000, while another 1.5 million are internally displaced. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kassala in eastern Sudan is home to the country's largest concentration of refugees, numbering more than 86,000. As the UNHCR recalls, "many had fled fighting over the past half century between Eritrea and Ethiopia, but the majority were born in Sudan's camps, where they share the ethnicity, language and religion of their host community."<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And following the rebellion in the Darfur region in western Sudan in 2003, almost a decade later an estimated 200,000 refugees from Darfur are still languishing in refugee camps in the desert in eastern Chad.</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> According to UN agencies, <span style="color: black;">83,000 Chadian migrant workers returned from Libya in 2011, and Chad continues to host refugees from the Central African Republic as well as its own internally displaced persons (IDPs) resulting from internal conflict.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Egypt, where tens of thousands of African refugees live, the UNHCR is assisting more than 41,000 documented refugees and asylum seekers, most of whom arrived from Sudan during two decades of civil war and, since 2003, from Darfur. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Israel, according to the New York-based agency The Media Line, is home to some 27,000 refugees from Eritrea, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote d’Ivoire, and Israeli officials estimate that in the first nine months of 2011, about 36,000 Africans crossed the border from Egypt into Israel illegally, some 2,000 of them in August alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In January 2012 the Israeli Knesset passed a bill, promoted by the Netanyahu government, that would make refugees and asylum seekers who lack residency status liable to automatic detention without trial for up to three years. Organizations including Amnesty International have condemned the move as a violation of human rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"Since 2005, approximately 45,000 people have entered Israel via the Egyptian border to seek asylum, the majority of them Eritreans and Sudanese. For the past few years, Israel has barred Eritreans and Sudanese asylum-seekers outright from having their refugee claims heard, in blatant violation of the 1951 Refugee Convention," according to Amnesty.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are also much longer established refugee populations across the Middle East and North Africa. Almost 5 million Palestinian refugees are registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. And for more than three decades, refugee camps in Tindouf in southwestern Algeria have been home to an estimated 165,000 Sahrawis, the indigenous people of the Western Sahara, who arrived after the Moroccan occupation of their territory in 1976.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The displacement of people within and across borders as a result of the upheavals of 2011 has hit national economies, undermined regional stability and provoked fears in some European countries that <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">large numbers of migrants and asylum-seekers would flood to their shores.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Syria<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In Syria, the crackdown by President Bashar al-Assad’s troops intensified since pro-democracy protests began in April 2011, leading anti-government protesters to step up the use of force, notably by the Free Syrian Army. One consequence has been a steady flow of Syrian refugees and asylum-seekers into southern Turkey, with smaller numbers crossing into Lebanon and Jordan. Those fleeing include whole families as well as defecting soldiers who refused to shoot protesting civilians. According to the Turkish and Lebanese governments, more than 25,000 people fled Syria in 2011, though many have since returned.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By December 2011, there were about 10,000 registered Syrian refugees in Turkey. The number of registered refugees peaked at nearly 20,000 in late summer 2011, according to Turkish officials, but fell as families left the camps, some of them to stay with local Turkish families with whom they shared kinship ties. Most of those registered were in camps in the southern province of Hatay, to which Syria has a long-standing territorial claim which it had shelved in recent years as relations between the two countries warmed. But in 2011 relations deteriorated over Syria’s violent crackdown on protesters. Turkey became one of the most vocal critics of Assad’s rule, and hosts the Syrian National Council, a broad-based opposition coalition formed in September 2011.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Around 5,500 refugees have fled their homes in Syria to border towns in Jordan. While Jordan has not offered asylum to Syrians, authorities near the northern border were providing emergency medical attention and shelter to displaced Syrians, "with preparations in place for any potential large-scale humanitarian crisis," the Jordan Times reported on 28 November. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Although they have been made welcome because of the long-existing tribal and family ties that predate and transcend the common border, the continued presence of displaced Syrians poses problems for many Jordanians whose livelihood depends on cross-border border trade with Syria.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Jordan’s national resources have also been strained by an influx of Iraqi refugees, who now comprise 15 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, some of the estimated one million Iraqi refugees who fled to Syria since 2003 have returned to Iraq. In mid-January 2012, more than 5,200 Syrian refugees were registered in northern Lebanon with the UNHCR and Lebanese relief bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to Israeli press reports, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) has prepared for extreme scenarios in which Syrians fleeing turmoil at home could even try to storm the border with Israel and seek political asylum, as they have done on Syria's borders with Turkey and Jordan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Israel's military chief Lt-Gen Benny Gantz said in January 2012 that Israel was making contingency plans in the event that President Bashar al-ASsad was ousted from power, and the possibility that refugees from his minority Alawite sect would flee into the Golan Heights (which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 war). <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Libya<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When conflict erupted in Libya, the country was home to between 1.5 million and 2.5 million foreign nationals, many of them refugees, although the authorities treated them as irregular migrants. According to the UNHCR, in February 2011 there were around 8,000 registered refugees and approximately 3,000 asylum seekers in Libya who had come from countries including Cote d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia and Sudan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As the unrest spread during the summer, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced within Libya itself, while over a million men, women and children escaped to neighbouring countries including Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Algeria.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that between 100,000 and 150,000 people had been internally displaced in Libya at the height of the conflict, before some began to return home after Gaddafi was ousted from Tripoli in August. OCHA said it had "serious protection concerns" for about 50,000 internally displaced people from minority groups, owing to direct threats to their physical security as well as social discrimination.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Humanitarian organisations were also concerned about the situation of third-country nationals, including migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, who had become more vulnerable to violence and human rights violations since the outbreak of the conflict, OCHA added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 8.4pt 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"Sub-Saharan Africans, especially those from Niger, Chad and Sudan, were targeted by both sides after it became known that some sub-Saharan Africans had worked as mercenaries for the Gaddafi regime," the UNHCR noted.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jean-Philippe Chauzy, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Geneva, said the crisis in Libya had primarily been one of migration, and not a refugee crisis. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"Overwhelmingly, the hundreds of thousands of people who fled Libya were migrant workers, employed mostly in the informal sector or in some cases contract workers from South Asia," he told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Middle East</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The ripple effects of the Libyan crisis hit countries south of Libya hard as well, Chauzy added: "At the moment there is very little focus on the impact on about 100,000 Chadians who have returned to Chad since the Libyan uprising started, and maybe 80-90,000 citizens of Niger who have returned to their country. Those returning migrants are going home empty-handed, with very little employment opportunities, and families who formerly relied on remittances from these migrants are now going without. Vast areas of Chad and Niger are also currently facing food insecurity. The lifeline that these former workers in Libya provided has been cut."<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At the end of November, the IOM noted that "despite the end of hostilities in Libya which have seen more than 764,000 migrants flee the country, including more than 200,000 Africans," many migrants still wanting to leave Libya required assistance. Stranded African migrants still faced arbitrary detention, harassment and persecution, while the lack of diplomatic representation for many African nationalities made it difficult to verify their citizenship and issue travel documents, the organization added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the governments of Egypt and Tunisia, over 200,000 Egyptians and 82,000 Tunisians have returned to their respective home countries as a result of the conflict in Libya, "in most cases, losing their sole source of income," the IOM said in January 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Impact on Arab world and beyond<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There has been scaremongering in some European countries, with anti-immigration parties seeking to make political capital by talking about the trickle of illegal migration from North Africa possibly escalating into a tsunami.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Amnesty International in September said European countries had "shamefully" failed to help about 5,000 mainly African refugees living in grim conditions at the Saloum border post and Choucha camp on Libya’s frontiers with Egypt and Tunisia respectively, who would face persecution or conflict if returned to their own countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Nicolas Beger, Director of Amnesty International’s European Institutions Office, said: "This failure is particularly glaring given that some European countries, by participating in NATO operations in Libya, have been party to the very conflict that has been one of the main causes of the involuntary movement of people."<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">By October 2011, only seven EU countries had pledged to resettle refugees, along with Norway, the US, Canada and Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A spokesman for the British Department for International Development said in response to the Amnesty report that the UK had been one of the first governments to provide humanitarian support to those affected by the conflict in Libya. "However, we are under no international obligation to bring asylum seekers or refugees to the UK from Libya and do not believe it would be desirable to do so. In our view humanitarian and refugee issues are best dealt with in the region of origin, or by asylum seekers claiming protection in the first safe country they reach," he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Boats each carrying hundreds of illegal immigrants, who have made long and perilous journeys not just from Africa but as far afield as Pakistan and Afghanistan, continue to arrive regularly on Italy's southern coasts. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">IOM spokesman Chauzy said that there was no denying that substantial numbers of people had arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa - about 53,000 by late September, including about 26,000 from Tunisia, and others from Libya. But he said this could not be compared with the hundreds of thousands of migrants who had crossed from Libya into Egypt and Tunisia.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"The European response when the crisis began was a knee-jerk reaction aimed at controlling the potential flows of illegal migrants from Tunisia and Libya. Little has been done in the way of providing alternatives, especially for young Tunisians who want to emigrate – that would involve entering into new partnerships with governments in Tunisia and Egypt, and Libya when it stabilises, to create wealth and job opportunities in those countries," Chauzy said. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">However, there is no accurate record of how many hundreds or thousands of would-be migrants drown when their small, overloaded craft sink off the shores of southern Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Meanwhile, on the other side of the Arab world, the prospects of more refugees from Syria being dispersed across the region, and of Yemenis fleeing the conflict in their country to seek refuge in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, have heightened fears of growing humanitarian crises that would lead to prolonged destabilization across the region. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-26471881855614088192012-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-26T07:50:10.256-08:00Battle of the bulbs<h2 class="etech" style="padding-top: 10px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cutting domestic bills with energy-efficient lighting</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew8joEm5z0k/TyF1z2NRNtI/AAAAAAAAAGo/rXdsSghZNYs/s1600/osram-sylvania-LED-light-bulbs-399x263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew8joEm5z0k/TyF1z2NRNtI/AAAAAAAAAGo/rXdsSghZNYs/s320/osram-sylvania-LED-light-bulbs-399x263.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="etech_intro"><br />
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</div><div class="etech_intro"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">More affordable prices and an increasing range of energy-saving light bulbs are driving consumer take-up of energy-efficient lighting for the home, particularly in Western Europe, North America and some Asian markets.</span></div><div class="etech_intro"><br />
</div><div class="etech_intro"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Read the full article in the December 2011 edition of <em><a href="http://www.iec.ch/etech/2011/etech_1211/ind-1.htm">e-tech</a></em>, published by the International Electrotechnical Commission.</span></div>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-37303053914195603762011-12-04T04:01:00.000-08:002011-12-04T04:03:12.624-08:00Invest in Jordan 2011<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.newsdeskmedia.com/Invest_in_Jordan">Invest in Jordan 2011</a> - published by Newsdesk Media (London)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnsqfMJObkM/TttfnH72z9I/AAAAAAAAAGg/WtnWg9zLjj0/s1600/Invest+in+Jordan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnsqfMJObkM/TttfnH72z9I/AAAAAAAAAGg/WtnWg9zLjj0/s320/Invest+in+Jordan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Spreading economic growth around the country</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>A series of tax and other incentives are attracting companies to new business hubs across Jordan.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Connecting Jordan to the world</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>As a leading manager of Arabic-language content on the internet, Jordan is in a powerful position online.</em></span>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5087102682109370642.post-86167578849608508622011-11-28T15:05:00.000-08:002011-11-28T15:05:06.213-08:00Flurry of Media Laws in Wake of Arab Spring<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Across the Arab world in 2011, governments from Mauritania to Syria have passed new laws to regulate the media, whether liberalising formerly state-controlled sectors or tightening control and extending it to news websites and electronic media.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3BnDFVWhEeM/TtQQl_opt4I/AAAAAAAAAGY/zvZQvzZvovo/s1600/Algeria-newspapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3BnDFVWhEeM/TtQQl_opt4I/AAAAAAAAAGY/zvZQvzZvovo/s1600/Algeria-newspapers.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Algerian newspapers</span></em><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">This article was first published in <a href="http://www.africasia.com/themiddleeast/">The Middle East</a>, November 2011</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, this flurry of legislation came as a reaction to the growing use of online media by political activists, and the erosion of the state’s monopoly of broadcasting as pan-Arab satellite TV enters its third decade. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In Tunisia and Egypt, which have both enjoyed a post-revolution media boom, old attitudes towards freedom of expression persist among the remnants of the former regimes. Nevertheless, some countries appear to be discarding draconian media laws and moving towards genuine media liberalisation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Plans by Algeria and Mauritania to open up their media sectors have provoked a mixture of approval and scepticism.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In September, <span style="color: black;">Mauritania said it would allow the setting-up of five private commercial radio stations and five TV channels. <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The head of the Union of Mauritanian Journalists, Houssein Ould Imedou, said the move would enable citizens "to own media outlets that would represent their views and express their desires without any censorship or dictates". <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">But sociologist Ibrahim Ould Sidi expressed fears that private broadcasting would be dominated by tribes, "at the expense of professionalism and efficiency", while writer Said Ould Habib voiced concerns that the state would retain control by other means.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In Algeria, which has a long history of press pluralism, the cabinet appeared to meet a key opposition demand when it passed a draft law in September to open up the television sector to private channels by 2012. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Private stations would be regulated by an official <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>body and need a government licence. "<span style="color: black;">The move appears to have come under the pressure of pro-democracy popular uprisings that have swept across several Arab countries over the past few months," the BBC commented.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Algeria’s <span style="color: black;">leading Arabic daily Al-Khabar and the French-language daily Al-Watan, both long-standing critics of government policy, plan to launch TV and radio stations. But journalist Larabi Zeouak was cautious, predicting that only government allies and loyalists would receive licences to operate TV stations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The draft media law also envisages a <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">regulatory body to "strengthen press freedoms", as well as decriminalising press offences. </span>But the Algerian journalists' union said the latter provision was merely a "return to normality", and dismissed the draft law as "containing nothing new".<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In the run-up to Tunisia’s constituent assembly elections in October, an independent media reform committee criticised the interim government for failing to endorse two draft laws regulating the press and the audiovisual sector.<span style="color: black;"> Some journalists fear that elements of the old guard are conspiring with senior media figures to block the development of genuinely free media, and that </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">the former regime's restrictions could be reimposed. There </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">is still no clear and specific legislation relating to digital media, which played a central role in Tunisia’s political transition. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On a positive note, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">12 licences have been granted for new FM radio stations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In Libya, until a stable government with nationwide authority is formed, dozens of daily and weekly publications, FM radio stations and satellite TV channels continue to operate in a free but unregulated and chaotic media environment. The challenge in drawing up post-conflict legislation will be, in the words of Paris-based media freedom organisation Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), to enable </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">resistance media that have been combating disinformation and propaganda to evolve into media for political stability.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In Egypt, amidst claims that some media have abused the new climate of free expression that followed the ousting of former President Mubarak in February, there have been calls for greater regulation. While partisanship and campaigning in the media for Islamist, secular or progressive groups is hardly unexpected, several newspapers and TV channels stand accused of rumour-mongering and disseminating false and unverified news likely to cause social unrest.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">However, critics have questioned how a body such as the Information Ministry - associated with decades of authoritarian rule and abolished days after Mubarak’s downfall, then reinstated in July – could play any role in future media reform. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) described the reinstatement of the Information Ministry as "a substantial setback for media freedom in Egypt".<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In September, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the cabinet suspended the issuing of new licences to private satellite TV channels. Officials insisted the move was temporary, but said action was essential to confront channels that "instigate sedition and violence and cause instability at such a critical phase".<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Speculation since June that the SCAF would pass a new media law has proved unfounded. Nevertheless, self-censorship remains common among Egyptian journalists, and some observers fear that censorship and intimidation of journalists are creeping back to Mubarak-era levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">American academic and veteran Middle East correspondent Lawrence Pintak argues that Egypt is a unique case. "There has been an explosion of new media, particularly TV, outlets in the regulatory chaos following Mubarak's overthrow. Many of those outlets have proven irresponsible in their coverage, others effectively aggressive, and both are creating a backlash from the military," he told <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Middle East</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Jordan<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Despite the Jordanian government’s stated aim of increasing freedom of the press through proper regulation, journalists fear that two draft laws approved by parliament this summer will have the opposite effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In August, the lower house endorsed amendments to the press and publications law which would treat news websites as "newspapers" for legal purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Electronic media would have a choice between registering officially with the government and benefiting from "guarantees" specified in the press law, or remaining unregistered and being subject to the provisions of other laws such as the Penal Code and the Cyber Crimes Law.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While some MPs called for more monitoring of electronic media to curb alleged defamation, character assassination and false reporting, others maintained that controlling websites was unfeasible. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">"News websites have been the main vehicle for pro-reform popular movements that have sprouted up across the country," Oraib Rintawi of the Al Quds Centre for Political Studies told the Jordan Times. A survey by the Centre found that 65 per cent of Jordanian journalists were against the amended law.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Jordan’s Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) said the amendments "posed a new threat to e-reporters as they added more constraints to the electronic media". The CDFJ added that the law would not prohibit the arrest of journalists, who still faced the threat of trial in the State Security Court and imprisonment under other laws such as the Penal Code.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Media freedom concerns grew in September after MPs endorsed the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Anti-Corruption Commission <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">draft law, which journalists regard as a </span>setback to efforts to expose and combat corruption. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Syria<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In August Syria adopted a new law setting out "media principles, journalists' duties and rights, and licensing procedures for launching audiovisual, printed and electronic media," in the words of the official Syrian news agency SANA. A National Council of Information will be set up, which will have "administrative and financial independence". SANA added that the new law was part of Syria’s continuing process of "comprehensive reform". At its core was the principle that media should be "independent and fulfill their mission freely, and are only restricted by the constitution and the law". <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Freedom of expression should be exercised "with responsibility and awareness," the law cautions. It also bans the publication of any content "that affects national unity and national security, harms the holy religions and beliefs, or incites sectarian or confessional strife… [or] acts of violence and terrorism".<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Syrian pro-regime journalists hailed the new legislation, but critics said that while it tried to give the impression that media freedom was being expanded, it lacked any credibility. "A harsh crackdown has been going on for the past six months, many journalists and free speech defenders have been jailed, and the number of citizens being killed grows by the day," RSF said on 29 August.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Journalists Sceptical<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">The media landscape in every Arab country has its own characteristics. But the tide of change and the calls for reform that have swept through the Arab world in the past 12 months have been a common factor in driving governments to bring in these new media laws.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Mohamed Ahmad, a Cairo-based analyst of the Arab media, said: "The passing of media laws in several Arab countries is definitely related to the upheaval sweeping across the Arab world, but the intentions and motives vary from one country to another. For example, in the case of Algeria, the planned opening up of the audiovisual sector is clearly an attempt to absorb anger and send a message that a greater measure of media freedom, together with promised political reforms, are on the way."</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Most Arab journalists feel a mix of suspicion blended with cautious welcome. In the words of Lawrence Pintak, "they are p</span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">leased with their newfound power, but concerned about the backlash and sceptical about the future."</span></div><br />
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</div>Peter Feuilheradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519965602854577569noreply@blogger.com0