Building futuristic sustainable urban cities starts from the underground up
Underground innovation, digitization, and AI are vital for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future cities, says Sam Wiffen, director and founder of Reveal.Passenger air traffic has surpassed pre-pandemic levels: ICAO
Montreal, Canada--The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) projected that passenger air traffic levels will be around 2 percent higher In the first quarter of 2024 than in 2019, with airlines expected to sustain their operating profitability seen in 2023. Demand this year is forecast to be around 3 percent above...Passports officers to ease travel for Ramadan at Dammam airport and causeway
DAMMAM, SAUDI ARABIA – With the increase in passenger traffic during Ramadan, the General Directorate of Passports is ramping up efforts to handle the increased number of arrivals at King Fahd Causeway and King Fahd International Airport here. The directorate's officers in Dammam are utilizing modern technology to expedite procedures...Passenger traffic could exceed earlier figures, says Dubai Airports’ CEO
DUBAI, UAE – The airport here has "every chance" of breaking its record for passenger traffic this year after surpassing pre-pandemic levels in 2023, Dubai Airports' CEO told AFP on Monday. Dubai International, the world's busiest airport for international passengers for nearly a decade, hit 87 million visits in 2023, beating...Passenger traffic at Sharjah airport jumps to 15.3 million in 2023
Sharjah, UAE--The number of passengers travelling through Sharjah airport reached 15.3 million in 2023, as compared to 13.1 million in 2022, marking over 17.4 percent growth, according to Sharjah Airport Authority. The air traffic witnessed an increase of 12 percent with over 98,000 flight movements in 2023 as compared to...Global air travel reaches 99% of 2019 levels: IATA
IATA’s Director-General Willie Walsh said that international travel is 5.5% below pre-pandemic levels, but that gap is narrowing fast. "And domestic markets have been above their pre-pandemic levels continuously since April." According to Walsh, international travel is moving ever closer to surpassing the 2019 peak year.15% increase in air traffic at UAE airports during COP28, says GCAA
ABU DHABI, UAE – Airports in the country witnessed a 15 percent increase in air traffic during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) held at Expo City Dubai, said Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi. In a statement to the Emirates News Agency...Dubai Airports expect to cross pre-pandemic passenger numbers in 2023
Dubai, UAE--Dubai Airports is expecting annual passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) to touch 86.8 million – surpassing 2019 traffic, propelled by strong growth throughout the first three quarters of the year and anticipation of an exceptional surge in guest numbers in the final quarter. DXB commenced the second half...Abu Dhabi International Airport records 29.3% jump in Q3 passenger traffic
Abu Dhabi, UAE--Abu Dhabi International Airport has posted a 29.3 percent jump in passenger traffic for the third quarter of 2023 to a healthy figure of 5,951,025. The passenger traffic recorded the increase at Abu Dhabi International Airport between 1st July and 30th September, an increase of 29.3%, compared to...Container traffic rises 11.66 percent in September, says Mawani
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported an 11.66 percent surge in container traffic across its trade hubs during September, handling 732,293 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit in comparison to 655,831 TEUs a year earlier. Monthly statistics further show an 18.2 percent increase in exported containers from 198,529 TEUs...Vitronic signs contracts in MENA
The contracts to install traffic systems are worth US$211m.Kuwait Airport expects 13% rise in passenger numbers, says DGCA
KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT - Kuwait's Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) expected that the total passenger traffic to and from Kuwait International Airport in 2023 to reach 15.5 million, compared to 14.46 passengers last year. Director of air transports at DGCA Abdullah Al-Rajhi said in a press statement on Sunday...Suez Canal ship traffic normal after tanker collision
Cairo, Egypt--Shipping traffic was flowing normally on Egypt's Suez Canal on Wednesday, two shipping sources based in the country said, after two tankers that collided earlier were separated. The two tankers, the Singapore-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier BW Lesmes and the Cayman Islands-flagged oil products tanker Burri, briefly collided...Commercial transport sector added $4.38bn to Dubai economy, says RTA
DUBAI, UAE - Commercial transport sector contributed AED16.1 billion ($4.38bn) to Dubai's economy in 2022, said Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executives Directors of Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The sector employs around 242,000 jobs by more than 7000 companies, local media reports said. “The...More than 900,000 passengers to use Abu Dhabi International Airport on Eid
Abu Dhabi, UAE-- Some 900,000 passengers are expected to pass through Abu Dhabi International Airport on more than 5,000 flights to and from 109 destinations spread over 59 countries. The projected numbers were released by Abu Dhabi Airports in anticipation of an increase in traffic at Abu Dhabi International Airport...Cargo ship grounded for a short while in Egypt’s Suez Canal
ISMAILIA, EGYPT - A cargo ship ran aground on Thursday in Egypt's Suez Canal before it was quickly refloated without interrupting traffic, the authority in charge of the vital waterway said. The Hong Kong-flagged Xin Hai Tong 23 bulk carrier was refloated after "a sudden malfunction of the machinery" while it...Qatar’s Hamad International Airport passenger traffic soars 44.5% in Q1
Doha, Qatar— More than ten million passengers traveled through Qatar’s Hamad International Airport in the first quarter of the current year, marking a 44.5 percent jump. The airport, according to Qatar News Agency, received 3.56 million passengers in the month of January, followed by 3.24 million in February, and 3.5...Middle East airlines traffic up by 84.6 percent in Nov 2022: IATA
Geneva, Switzerland-- Middle Eastern airlines had an 84.6 percent growth in traffic in November compared to the same month in 2021, according to a recent report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which also noted that global air travel recovery continued throughout the month. Globally, traffic is now at...84.6% growth in travel for Middle Eastern airlines in Nov: IATA
Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019 levels, according to the report.Cargo vessel refloated after running aground in Suez Canal
The incident involving the 225-metre-long Marshall Islands-registered M/V Glory had briefly sparked fears of a repeat of a major 2021 blockage when the giant container ship Ever Given became diagonally wedged in the canal. That week-long closure of the man-made waterway cost billions of dollars through shipping delays.IATA says global passenger demand for air traffic growing
Geneva, Switzerland— Total global air traffic has shot up 44.6 percent in October as against October 2021, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Total traffic in October 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 44.6 percent compared to October 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 74.2...Abu Dhabi Airports announces 4.7m passenger traffic in Q3 2022
ABU DHABI, UAE - Abu Dhabi Airports Monday said that in Q3 2022 passenger traffic totaled 4.7 million passengers, a rise of 250 percent compared to the 1.3 million passengers in Q3 2021. Abu Dhabi Airports, the operator of the five airports in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in its...22 die in a bus crash in southern Egypt
At least 22 people were killed and 33 injured in southern Egypt on Tuesday when the bus they were traveling in smashed into a parked truck, officials said.High car sales adds to Iraq’s road misery
Five years ago, Iraqi taxi driver Osama Mohammed would make about six trips a day across Baghdad. Today, traffic is so bad he feels lucky to do three.Companies envision taxis flying above jammed traffic
Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electric-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes.Maritime traffic between Morocco and Spain resumes
Maritime traffic between Spain and Morocco is set to resume Tuesday following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Rabat's transport ministry said. Embroiled in a dispute with Spain over the territory of Western Sahara, Morocco upheld the blockade between some of the largest ports on the Mediterranean...Egypt nixes reports that Suez Canal traffic is falling
The key trading link is setting new records, said the government, quoting the Suez Canal Authority.QAIA saw passenger traffic grow 161% in January
Passenger and aircraft movement and air cargo traffic at QAIA remained far lower than pre-pandemic levels.No full recovery until 2024, says Dubai airports chief
Traffic remains "nowhere near pre-pandemic levels" despite rising to 29.1 million passengers last year, Dubai Airports chief Paul Griffiths said in an interview.Google appeals EU fine
It was fined €2.4-billion for abusing its search engine dominance.Suez Canal revenues hit all-time high of $6.3bn in 2021
The revenues rose by $720 million, or 12.8 percent, in 2021 compared to 2020 when they were $5.6 billion.Kuwait looks to regulate local used-car trade market
The regulation will look to limit the maximum number of cars non-Kuwaiti residents in the country can own.Bahrain mulls proposal to tighten control over food-delivery motorcycles
Bahrain is deliberating on a proposal to tighten control over food-delivery motorcycles in terms of traffic and health

































