Finance: Middle East & Africa

Developments in transport finance, PPP, debt, equity, M&A deals from Middle East & Africa

• Financial package signed for rehabilitation of Alexandria Raml Tram, Egypt

  January 12, 2022
  A consortium of European banks and development agencies has signed a EUR246 million financial package with Egypt for the rehabilitation of the Alexandria Raml tram. The project aims to rehabilitate and extend the route of the tramline and to renovate its stations and rolling stock.

• Government of Ghana allocates funds for MMTL

  December 17, 2021
  The Government of Ghana has announced plans to refurbish the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMTL) fleet, with the procurement of new buses in its 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy.

• Shuttlers raises USD1.6 million for service expansion, Nigeria

  November 18, 2021
  Nigeria-based Shuttlers has raised USD1.6 million in seed funding to expand within and outside Nigeria.

• EBRD approves EUR250 million loan for Abu Qir metro line, Egypt

  November 16, 2021
  The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a EUR250 million loan for the upgradation and electrification of the Abu Qir metro line in Alexandria, Egypt.

• Government of Uganda to borrow funds for Kampala–Malaba railway line refurbishment

  May 19, 2021
  The Government of Uganda has announced plans to borrow a total of EUR325 million to facilitate the refurbishment of the Kampala–Malaba Metre Gauge Railway Project.

• National Railways Authority allocates USD14.36 billion for development of rail network, Egypt

  March 31, 2021
  The Egyptian National Railways Authority has allocated USD14.36 billion for the development of its railway network.

• Ethiopia–Sudan standard gauge project study secures funding

  June 16, 2020
  The African Development Bank (ADB) has awarded a USD1.2 million grant to the government of Ethiopia to fund a two-year comprehensive feasibility study for the construction of a 1,522-km standard gauge line from Addis Ababa to Khartoum.

• Addis Ababa BRT secures USD93 million concessional loan from South Korea, Ethiopia

  April 1, 2020
  Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and land information management system (LIMS) has received a concessional loan of USD93 million from South Korea.

• IFC to extend USD100 million loan for Casablanca Tramway extension, Morocco

  January 13, 2020
  The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a subsidiary of the World Bank, has announced plans to extend a load of USD100 million to finance the construction of Casablanca Tramway Lines 3 and 4.

• EBRD loan to fund Tunis train procurement, Tunisia

  December 18, 2019
  Tunis Transport Company (TRANSTU) has signed a EUR45 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to procure 18 new light rail vehicles (LRVs), which will replace the existing rolling stock on the Tunis–Goulette–Marsa light rail transit (LRT) line, connecting Tunis’s city centre with La Marsa.

• Abu Dhabi to invest AED473 million in public transport buses, UAE [free access]

  August 24, 2019
  Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) has announced plans to purchase 327 buses at an investment of AED473 million to develop the public transport network.

• SAPTCO to invest in KEC Medina, Saudi Arabia

  July 23, 2019
  The Saudi Arabia Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia’s Knowledge Economic City (KEC) to establish a joint venture (JV) to investment in KEC’s Medina project.

• Kenya allocates KES5.53 billion for bus-only lanes in Nairobi

  May 18, 2019
  The National Treasury of Kenya has allocated KES5.53 billion to develop exclusive lanes for high-capacity buses planned to be deployed in Nairobi.

• EXIM China to finance Cairo LRT, Egypt

  January 18, 2019
  The Export and Import Bank of China has signed a loan agreement with Egypt’s Ministry of Transport to provide a USD1.2 billion soft loan for the Greater Cairo light rail transit (LRT).

• EU to fund Nairobi BRT, Kenya

  October 31, 2018
  The European Union (EU) has approved a grant of USD48.75 million for the development of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Nairobi.

• Passenger service commences on Abuja LRT; EXIM China to finance LRV procurement, Nigeria

  July 13, 2018
  Passenger services have commenced on Phase I of Abuja light rail transit (LRT).

• EIB to finance suburban train procurement in Tunis

  April 18, 2018
  The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved financing of EUR45 million for the procurement of 18 trains by Transtu, the public transport company of the Greater Tunis Area.

• Angola receives AfDB financing for National Transport plan, to increase operating buses in Luanda

  March 30, 2018
  The African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided USD 4 million for the Transport Sector National Steering Plan released in Luanda.

• Dubai secures funds for Metro Route 2020

  March 23, 2018
  Dubai’s Department of Finance has completed the USD2.45-billion infrastructure financing programme of the Route 2020 project of Dubai Metro.

• World Bank to finance Beirut BRT PPP, Lebanon

  March 16, 2018
  The World Bank has approved funding of USD295 million to develop a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Beirut on public private partnership (PPP) model.