CAIRO - An old Arab dream may be achievable in the near future connecting the Arab world with one railway network. This is why Italian Railways, through its engineering company Italferr, has been selected, in a consortium with the Jordanian Company Dar Al Omran, to conduct the important ‘Study for the Integration of Railway Transport' in 21 Arab League countries. The study, which will last for one year and cost two million euros, will open the way for great investments in this area. “Producing such a study was one of the recommendations of the Arab Summit in 2009,” says Mawaheb Khallaf, the Director of the Transport and Tourism Department at the Arab League based in Cairo. She adds that the study also will pave the way for connecting the Arab countries with some other regional neighbours in Asia, Africa and Europe. After finalising the study, the Arab countries will have to decide to do what they can to achieve the goals they want. “The award to Italferr of the Master Plan is a big success for Italy and a matter of pride,” says Nicolo Tassoni, the head of the Economic and Commercial Office at the Italian Embassy in Cairo. He adds that Italy plans to continue to act as a reference partner for the Arab region in Europe, continuing with its large contribution to the economic and social development of the region and to the partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean. Tassoni stresses that Italferr's success in the competition for the Master Plan for the Arab Railways Network is also a consequence of the extraordinary amount of experience gained in Egypt. Italian Railways are currently engaged in a five-year plan to develop and modernise Egyptian Railways. The plan started two years ago. Tassoni considers that the special partnership between Italy and Egypt can be viewed as a winning model for co-operation between countries of the two shores of the Mediterranean.
