Understanding Challenges for High-Speed Rail in the Middle East

More than three billion passengers around the world travel by HSR each year. Mainland China hosts more than two-thirds of the world’s total network, with Japan and Spain seeing strong benefits and returns from their established systems. Elsewhere, Canada, the United States (U.S.), Australia, Morocco and the United Kingdom (U.K.) all have ambitious plans to capitalise on their potential.

The Middle East is now well-positioned to benefit from HSR’s opportunities. AECOM’s rail and transit lead for the Middle East and Africa explains what it takes to get a successful HSR project off the ground.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify key high-speed rail (HSR) developments and future plans in the Middle East, including major routes and regional integration projects
2. Explain the economic, environmental, and social benefits of HSR and how these contribute to regional growth and sustainability
3. Recognise the main challenges of implementing HSR in the Middle East and the strategies used to address them