Nippon Express Company launches halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service

Nippon Express Company (NEC) has expanded its domestic halal logistics services in Japan with a new halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service.

By incorporating halal logistics system-certified work procedures into its Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service, the company has created a rapid halal transport service capable of handling shipments as small as a single cardboard box.

Since it received halal certification for warehousing in Japan in 2016, the company has introduced halal-only roll boxes for consolidated transport of small-lot cargo amounting to less than a full truckload, as well as halal-only rail containers for large-lot cargo into its warehouse-based transport services as it expanded its handling of halal products.

Source: Nippon Express Company. The Express Hi-Speed domestic air cargo transport service was launched on March 8, 2021.

With interest in halal products growing in Japan, Nippon Express has been constructing a halal logistics service network to support customers' supply chains and provide safety and peace of mind to Muslim customers and others.

According to the company, demand for halal products in Japan is expected to rise not only from Japan's 200,000 strong Muslim population, but also with an increase in foreign visitors/residents from a diversity of cultural backgrounds. High certification standards for quality assurance and hygiene control have also expanded interest in halal products among health- and safety-conscious consumers, NEC said.

In 2014, Nippon Express became the first Japanese company to obtain halal logistics certification in Malaysia, and it has since been developing global halal logistics services.

Express Hi-Speed halal transport offers:

- Improved visibility for halal products (special labels affixed on cargo)

- Halal education for employees engaged in operations

- Delivery modes tailored to specific needs (nationwide next-day delivery service, specified delivery time service, charter delivery service)

- Easy-to-use product design (packaged fees by region/weight, multiple-item shipments, business office stop-off service)

- Visualisation of transport status (trace control through up to seven transit points, confirmations via Nippon Express' website)

Haramain High Speed Rail inaugurated

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of KSA has launched the Haramain High Speed Rail, the Saudi Press Agency has reported. The railway is part of King Salman's plan to achieve the comfort of Hajj and umrah pilgrims.

In a speech at the launch ceremony Dr Nabil bin Mohammed Al-Amoudi, Minister of Transport, KSA was cited as saying, "The journey between Makkah and Madinah has become closer and easier than ever before. In conjunction with the 88th National Day, this great project is only a confirmation of the Kingdom's commitment to serve Islam and Muslims."

The Minister of Transport disclosed that the railway spans 450 km and has a capacity of 60 million passengers annually. The minister added that the project had been implemented according to international best practices.

The railway has five stations, Makkah, Madinah, Rabigh King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), Jeddah-based King Abdulaziz International Airport and downtown Jeddah.

KAEC, along the coast of the Red Sea, offers 100% foreign ownership for individuals and organisations, seaport and bonded zone regulations, and ease of access to permits and licenses related to residing, working, operating businesses, and owning and managing properties.

King Salman then boarded the train from Jeddah to Madinah. With the train said to travel at between 300 and 400 kmh and the distance between Jeddah and Madinah at 328 km, the journey by high speed rail is estimated to take an hour or less. The same trip by car would have taken four hours and by air, about an hour.

RTA reveals Ramadhan timings

Source: RTA, via Dubai Media Office. A tram station.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced changes to the business hours of its services during the month of Ramadhan. Services affected by the retiming include Customers’ Happiness Centres, paid parking zones, public buses, Dubai Metro and Tram, marine transit modes, and service-provider centres (technical testing).

Yousef Al-Reda, CEO of Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, RTA said, “The service timing of Customers’ Happiness Centres during Ramadhan will be as follows: Umm Al Ramool Center: From 9 am to 2 pm, from Sunday to Thursday. At Al Tawar, Al Awir, Al Manara, Deira, Al Barsha and Al Kafaf Centers: From 9 am to 5 pm, from Sunday to Thursday."

The Metro Stations on the Red Line and Green Line will be operating from Saturday to Wednesday from 5 am to midnight. On Thursday from 5 am to 1 am, and on Friday from 10 am to 1 am.

Dubai Tram will be operating from Saturday to Thursday from 6 am to 1 am, and on Friday from 9 am to 1 am.

“The service timings of public buses (Dubai Bus) during Ramadhan will be as follows: Main bus stations, such as Gold Souq, will operate from 4:25 am to 12:02 am. Al Ghubaiba Station will be in service from 4:16 am to 12:31 am. Substations, such as Satwa, will start from 5 am to 11:59 pm except for Route C01, operating around-the-clock. Al Qusais Station will run bus services from 4:20 am to 11:31 pm, and Al Quoz Industrial Station will be in operation from 6 am to 11:35 pm. Jebel Ali Station will operate from 5:40 am and continue up to 11:30 pm,” said Al-Reda.

Metro Link Bus stations at Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Burj Khalifa, Abu Hail, and Etisalat will be in service from 5 am to 12:20 am. Feeder bus service timings will be synchronised with metro journeys.

For intercity bus stations and commercial coaches, main stations, such as Al Ghubaiba, will operate around-the-clock to Sharjah (Jubail). The Abu Dhabi service will run from 4:40 am up to 12:05 am.

“Substations, such as the Union Square, will be in service from 4:30 am up to 12:35 am. Al Sabkha Station will run from 6 am until midnight, and Deira City Centre Station will be operating from 5:35 am until 11:30 pm. Karama Station will run bus services from 6:06 am until 10:19 pm and Al Ahli Club Station will open from 5:55 am to 10:15 pm.

External Stations, such as Sharjah’s Al Taawun, will run from 5:30 am to 9:58 pm and Fujairah Station will operate from 5:23 am to 9:30 pm. Ajman Station will open from 4:27 am until 11 pm and Hatta Station will be in operation from 5:30 am until 9:30 pm.

Marine transit

The Water Bus will operate at Marina Stations (Marina Mall, Marina Walk, Marina Terrace, and Marina Promenade) from noon to midnight. Dubai Ferry will arrive at Ghubaiba and Marina Stations at 11 am, 5 pm, and 6:30 pm. The ferry will depart from Al Jaddaf Station to Dubai Water Canal Station at 5:30 pm and from Dubai Water Canal Station to Al Jaddaf Station at 7:35 pm.

Water taxis (عبرة, abras) will operate daily, from 9 am to 10 pm.

“Abra timing during Ramadhan will be as follows: Traditional abra will operate in Dubai Creek Stations (Ghubaiba, Baniyas, Dubai Old Souq and Al Seef) from 10 am until midnight. At the Sheikh Zayed Road abras will operate from 8 pm to 2 am. The Electric abra at Burj Khalifa will operate from 8 pm to 11:30 pm, and the air-conditioned abra will operate (at Al Jaddaf, Dubai Festival City) from 7 am to midnight,” he added.

As for public parking, Al Reda said, “The parking fees will apply as follows from Saturday to Thursday: From 8 am to 6 pm, and from 8 pm to 00:00 (midnight). At Tecom, the tariff will apply from 8 am up to 6 pm." In multilevel parking lots, the fees are applicable 24x7.

Service-provider centres

Tasjeel Enoc (Al Qusais, Al Awir, Al Barsha, Al Tawar, and Warsan) are open Saturday to Thursday from 9 am to 3 pm, and from 8 pm to 2 am. In Hatta and Discovery Gardens the centres are open from 9 am to 3 pm, and at Jebel Ali from 8 am to 5 pm.

Emarat Shamil (Al Adid, Al Muhaisina, Nad Al Hamar, Al Qusais) are open from 9 am to 3 pm, and from 9 pm to midnight. Wasel (Belhasa, Al Arabi Center, and Nad Al Hamar) open from 9 am to 3 pm, and from 9 pm to 2 am (of the following day).

Quick Registration - vehicle testing and registration - will be open from 9 am to 5 pm, and from 9 pm to 3 am. Cars: From 9 am to 03:00 pm, and from 08:00 pm to 1 am (of the following day). Al Shirawi Enterprises - heavy vehicle testing - is open from 9 am to 5 pm.

Al Mumayaz vehicle testing (Aswaaq Al Mizhar, Al Barsha Mall) is open from 9 am to 3 pm, and from 8 pm to 1 am. Tamam Al Ghandi is open from 9 am to 3 pm, and from 9 pm to 2 am.

National Ferries Company, Oman shares October status update

Source: NFC. Vehicles on a ferry.

The National Ferries Company (NFC) of Oman has announced that ferry services now cover eight local ports through 69 journeys per week, in addition to providing access to several regional ports.

An update issued end-October 2017 shows that both passenger and vehicle volumes have risen. The number of passengers transported for 2017 as at the end of October was 198,622 passengers, compared to 183,354 in the same period last year, an increase of 8%. In contrast, 179,210 passengers had been served in 2017 as of end-September 2017, compared to 165,882 passengers during the same period in 2016.

The number of vehicles shipped on ferries for the same period reached 50,916 vehicles, compared to 44.431 in the same period last year, a rise of 15%. In addition to this, NFC shipped more than 27,000 tonnes of equipment and heavy goods. The number of the shipped vehicles on board of ferries as of end-September 2017 stood at 45,482 vehicles, compared to 39,667 vehicles year on year.

The company has a fleet of seven ferries to transport passengers, vehicles and light cargo, and a landing ship, Halaniyat, that transports equipment and heavy vehicles as well as livestock.

The company's efforts since the start of its operations have not only enhanced the maritime transport system, but have also helped Omanise various senior positions by recruiting Omani youth to work with the ferry crew and provide new job opportunities in the market. Today, Omani youth pilot the latest fast ferries.

Mwasalat shares Salalah Tourism Festival promotion

Source: Mwasalat. Timetable for bus trips to and from Salalah over the period of the Salalah Tourism Festival 2017.

The National Transport Company of Oman (Mwasalat) announces that it will be offering special offers and promotions during the Salalah Tourism Festival 2017, and will increase trips to Salalah from three to four trips throughout the festival.

The festival is timed to coincide with the khareef season, to celebrate the monsoon that lasts from June to early September - when greenery is at its most lush in the area.

Mwasalat plans to mobilise a record number of crew during the festival period.

Mwasalat offers free Wi-Fi in the buses along the routes from Muscat to Salalah. The first trip will depart at 7am and the last at 8pm.

Interested?

The festival begins on 30 June and will run through to 31 August 2017. Mwasalat will provide 180 seats per trip daily. There will be a discount for group bookings. Customers get a 5th ticket free if they buy four tickets. Children under the age of 2 may travel free.

Oman Air has separately announced an experience for the mountains of Oman and Salalah. Book by 15 July for travel to be completed by 31 August. Prices are quoted on the site for flying in from various cities in the GCC with a stay at the Al Fanar in Salalah. The Eid vacation package is also available, but must be booked for travelling before 30 June 2017. To book, call Oman Air Holidays at +968 2453 1000

World Bank loans US$200 million to Lebanon for road improvements

The World Bank Group has earmarked US$200 million for upgrading Lebanon’s road network, seen as a risk to public safety as well as an impediment to urban-rural development and equitable economic growth. The funds will be used to repair around 500 kilometres of roads in the first phase of a broader government plan to revamp the country’s crumbling road sector.

The Roads and Employment Project includes a US$45 million grant from the Bank-administered Concessional Financing Facility (CFF). It is the first time Lebanon has received funding from the CFF, a facility created in 2016 to support middle-income countries that have in the past been recipients of regular World Bank financing, but are currently experiencing unusual social and economic duress.

“This is to help Lebanon continue to offer basic services both to its citizens and to Syrian refugees in the country,” said Ferid Belhaj, the World Bank’s Director for the Middle East. “By hosting refugees, Lebanon is offering the international community a global public good. International financial support needs to increase to match its generosity.”

The presence of more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees has put unprecedented pressure on Lebanon’s already strained infrastructure. It has also fuelled social tensions, and changed the labour market by increasing the workforce by 35%. The road repair works would help provide more low-skilled jobs.

“Historically, the construction sector has been a primary source of income for poorer Lebanese and Syrians,” stated Ziad El Nakat, Senior World Bank Transport Specialist. “And it continues to play this role.”

The Roads and Employment Project would “also improve the quality and safety of the road network, particularly in less developed regions of the country, improving connectivity, reducing the cost of transport, and helping local economies develop through better access to markets and services,” he said.

Lebanon has one the highest per capita rates of road accidents in the world. The World Health Organization estimated the total number of road traffic fatalities in 2015 at 1,088, and their associated economic cost at between 3% and 5% of GDP.

The importance of regaining public confidence by investing in the road sector is highlighted in a five-year, US$510 million government plan. The Bank-financed project is aligned with this, and will help the government mobilise other international development partners to provide additional funding.

The first phase of the plan has four key objectives:

i) the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing road networks;

ii) the improvement of road safety systems;

iii) the purchase of equipment for emergency roadworks; and

iv) the capacity building to improve management and efficiency in the sector.

The project will include a survey of up to 6,000 kilometres of primary, secondary, and tertiary roads in all Lebanese regions to identify those in most need for rehabilitation.

The non-grant US$155 million loan portion of the package is repayable over 32.5 years, including a seven-year grace period. With this new package, the World Bank’s current commitment to Lebanon in grants, loans, and other concessional financing rises to US$1.3 billion.

Dubai RTA announces Eid contingency strategy, holiday timings for all services

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has shared its strategy for handling Eid traffic, including contingency plans, as well as different operational hours.

Engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, head of the team responsible for Traffic Management and Operational Plans during Annual Events, said, “The RTA has prepared operational plans necessary for serving riders during Eid al-Adha holiday which is usually a busy period. The plan covers Burj Khalifa district where more than 55 directional signs had been installed to direct traffic from and to the district. Accordingly, traffic will flow along Oudh Metha Road through Al Asayel Road, Zabeel Bridges through Al Saada Road, internal roads of the Business Bay leading to Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road in order to ease the pressure on the Financial Center Road. To ensure a smooth traffic flow, the traffic signals on the Financial Center Road and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard will be monitored and controlled.

“Streamlined procedures will be in place for buses and taxis which will be deployed in abundance at the pick-up and drop-off points of Dubai Mall, and additional number of taxicabs will be deployed at the Mall during peak hours. The public will be lifted using 10 buses deployed on the route from Dubai Mall to Trade Center. An agreement has been reached with franchise companies to raise the operational efficiency of taxicabs to 95%. In case of higher demand for taxicabs in Dubai Mall, a bus route will be activated to lift riders to Deira City Center Metro Station, Burjuman Station where more taxis will be available at those locations.

A bus parking area has been allocated at both the Address Hotel and Lafayette Hotel. The RTA has developed an alternative plan for parking buses at the Burj Khalifa Metro Station in case it is difficult to park at the two designated areas during peak hours.

According to Bin Adai, a dedicated team is in place comprising qualified engineers, inspectors and technicians who are ready to face any emergency during the Eid Al Adha holiday, in coordination with Dubai Police and Emaar, to ensure the implementation of all operational plans and required road closures.

RTA has also announced the timings of its different services during the Eid al Adha holiday, covering customers’ happiness centres, public car parks, public buses, Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, marine transit modes, driving institutes, and vehicles testing & registration centres.

Moaza Al Marri, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, RTA Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, said, “Customers’ happiness centres will be off-duty during Eid al Adha holiday from Sunday September 11th and will resume duty on Sunday September 18th 2016. All paid parking zones in Dubai Emirate will be free of charge except for the parking lots of the Fish Market and the Multi-level Parking terminal starting from Sunday 11 September, and fees will be activated on the Saturday 17 September.



“On Friday September 9th the Dubai Tram will be operational from 9am up to 1am (on the following day), and from Saturday September 10th to Tuesday September 13th it will be operating from 6:30am up to 1am (on the following day).

“Service hours of Dubai Bus from Saturday September 10th to Monday Sept 12th will be as follows: Main Bus Stations such at Gold Souk, the service will start at 05.20 am and end at 12:00 am (midnight), and at Al Ghubaiba from 05.00 am to 12:00 (midnight). At subsidiary stations, buses will operate at Al Qusais, Satwa from 05:00 am to 12:00 (midnight), and Route C01 will be in operation around-the-clock. At Al Quoz Industrial Station, buses will operate from 05:30 am to 11.30 pm, and at Jebel Ali Station from 6am to 10:15 pm.

"The Water Bus will be operating at Marina stations (Marina Mall, Marina Walk, Marina Terrace and Marina Promenade) from Saturday September 10th to Thursday September 15th from 10am to 11pm. On Friday and public holidays from 12pm up to 12am (midnight).

“The daily business hours of the Water Taxi service will be from 9am to 10pm. At Al Ghubaiba Station, the service will run from 10am to 6pm, Dubai Marina Station from 2pm to 10pm, The Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis) from 11am to 7pm, and The Palm Jumeirah (Rexos) from 11am to 7pm.

“The Blue Abra (Electric Abra) will be operating at Burj Khalifa area from 6pm to 11:30pm, and at Al Mamzar from 2pm to 12am (midnight). Atlantis Abra will operate from 1pm to 9pm, and the air-conditioned abra at Al Jaddaf, Dubai Festival City will operate from 7am to 12pm. The traditional abra at Dubai Creek (Al Ghubaiba, Al Sabkha, Baniyas, and Dubai Old Souk) will offer service from Saturday September 10th to Thursday September 15th from 7am to 10pm, and on Friday and public holidays from 10am to 12am (midnight).

“Dubai Ferry will offer scheduled daily services off Al Ghubaiba and Marina Mall Stations starting at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 6pm.

“As for the working hours of service providers, all centres of partners and service providers will be closed during the Eid al Adha holiday starting from Saturday September 11th up to Tuesday September 13th, and they will be back in service on Wednesday September 14th.”

Dubai Metro timings include:

September 8:
Stations on the Red Line of Dubai Metro will start service at 5:30am (Express Metro Service) and continue up to 2am (on the following day).
The Green Line will start service at 5:50am and continue up to 2am (on the following day).

September 9:
Both the Red and Green Lines will start service from 10am up to 2am (on the following day).

September 10:
The Red Line will start service from 5:30am up to 2am (on the following day)
The Green Line will be in service from 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)

September 11 to September 13
The Red Line begins at 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)
The Green Line will be in service from 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)

September 14
The Red Line will start from 5:30am to 1am (on the following day).
The Green Line will start service at 5:50am and continue up to 1am (on the following day).

“The Metro Stations Feeder Bus Service at Al Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta Mall, Abu Hail, Etisalat, and Dubai Mall-Burj Khalifa stations will operate from 5:15am to 2:10am (of the following day)," Moaza added.

Intercity Bus timings include:

Main stations
The service will be running around-the-clock to Jubail and Sharjah. The Abu Dhabi-bound service will be from 5am to 12:50am (past midnight).

Subsidiary stations such as Union Square
The service will be operating from 5am up to 12:30am (past midnight).

Al Sabkha Station
The service will operate from 6:30am to 12am (midnight)

Deira City Center Station
The service will be from 6:55am up to 10pm.

Al Karama Station
The service will run from 6:10am up to 10:15pm

Al Ahli Club Station
The service will run from 7am to 11pm.

External stations: Al Taawon (Sharjah)
The service will run from 7am up to 10:30pm

External stations: Al Fujairah Station
Intercity buses will be in service from 6:45am to 10:30pm

External stations: Ajman Station
Services run from 6am to 11:30pm

External stations: Hatta Station
Operational from 6:30am to 10:40pm.

Ministry of Haj & Umra, KSA ensures ease of movement during Hajj

Source: Ministry of Haj & Umra, KSA. Transport by golf buggy.

The KSA Ministry of Haj and Umra has introduced new golf buggies at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and around the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Ḥarām) in Makkah to facilitate movement for elderly or sick Hajj pilgrims, and the handicapped.

As part of an integrated transportation strategy for Hajj 2016 (1437), the ministry has provided 18,000 fully-equipped buses, including 1,696 new buses, to transport nearly 1.5 million foreign Hajj pilgrims around Makkah, Madinah, and the holy sites as they perform the rituals. The bus fleet is inspected every year and those buses which have reached their end of life are replaced.

The seasonal transportation services are manned by 25,000 drivers and technicians.

Mwasalat transports record number of passengers in Oman over Eid al Fitr

Source: Mwasalat. Infographic on passengers carried during Eid al Fitr 2016.

The Oman National Transport Company, Mwasalat, has seen a record number of passengers carried in a single day since it was established.

The company counted 18 thousand passengers on the first day of Eid al Fitr this year. The total number of passengers on board Mwasalat buses during the Eid holiday (5 to 9 July)
amounted to 72 thousand passengers in total, with an average of more than 14 thousand passengers a day.

The Ruwi-Mabelah route tops the list for volume of passengers during the Eid holiday with more than 30 thousand passengers carried, followed by Ruwi-Wadi Al-Kabir with 13 thousand and Ruwi-Ameraat with almost the same numbe. Over 11 thousand passengers travelled between Ruwi and Muscat, and more then 4,000 between Ruwi and Wadi Aday

Mwasalat plans to operate a new route across Khoud-SQU-Sahwa Tower during the third quarter of this year, and will also launch a Muscat-Duqm route during the same period.

Mwasalat recently increased the number of trips to Salalah during the Salalah Autumn Festival 2016. From the third day of Eid al Fitr (9 July) it has been running three to five daily trips, providing 225 seats a day.

posted from Bloggeroid

LATAR Expressway in Malaysia is toll-free on first day of Aidilfitri

The 33-km LATAR Expressway in Malaysia will go toll-free from midnight to 11.59 pm on 6 July 2016, the first day of Aidilfitri (Eid). The concession is applicable to all classes of vehicles throughout all the six toll plazas on the expressway. The 24-hour reload lanes for touch-and-go cards will also be fully operational during the holiday on top of the two Customer Service Centres.

“The toll-free-ride is in conjunction with the Aidilfitri break and 'balik kampung' season.” said Ahmad Fuad Ahmad Shahimi, Chief Operating Officer, LATAR Expressway. “This is our third time giving out the toll-free-ride to our users, after the earlier toll-free period enjoyed by the public during the opening of LATAR Expressway and the opening of Kundang Interchange last year. It is part of our corporate social responsibility and appreciation to the expressway users. Perhaps, with toll-free incentives, it could help to lesser the expenses of travellers during this 'balik kampung' period.”

LATAR Expressway links Kuala Lumpur from Templer’s Park in the Gombak district with Ijok in the Kuala Selangor district. LATAR offers an alternative route to the Northern Region via the coastal routes of Peninsular Malaysia. It serves Kuala Selangor, Assam Jawa, Ijok, Bestari Jaya (Batang Berjuntai), Kota Puteri, Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, Bukit Jelutong, Sungai Buloh, Kundang, Rawang and Selayang and offers a faster alternative to the cities of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur.

LATAR provides two rest and service areas (RSAs) which are located at Kundang Barat and Kundang Timur, which include toilets, suraus (prayer rooms), food and PETRONAS petrol stations. LATAR Expert and Ronda teams are available 24-hours on the expressway to assist in emergency situations.

Dubai Roads and Transport Authority commits extra hours for services over Eid al Fitr

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the timings of its services during the Eid al-Fitr holidays, covering customer service centres, car parks, public buses, Dubai Metro & Tram services, marine transit, driving institutes, as well as vehicles testing & registration centres.
 

Source: RTA. Al Marri.

Moaza Al Marri, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, RTA Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, said: “Customer Service Centers will be off-duty the during Eid al-Fitr holiday from Sunday 3rd July 2016 and will resume duty on Sunday 10 July 2016. All paid parking zones in Dubai will be free of charge except for the parking lots of the Fish Market and the Multi-level Parking terminal starting from Sunday 3rd July, and fees will be activated on Saturday 9 July."
 

Al Marri added that trains will be running almost 24 hours during the holidays. 

 

Red Line stations

Tuesday 5 July: 5.30am to 11.59pm.

Wednesday 6 July: 12am to 2am; 5.50am to 11.59pm.

Thursday 7 July: 12am to 2am; 5.30am to 11.59pm.

Friday 8 July: 12am to 2am; 10am to 11.59pm.

Saturday 9 July: 12am to 2am.

 

Green Line stations

5 July:  5.50am to 11.59pm

6, 7 July: 12am to 2am; 5.50am to 11.59pm

8 July: 12am to 2am; 10am to 11.59pm

9 July: 12am to 2am.

The tram service will operate from 5 to 7 July from 6:30am to 1am the next day. On 8 July, the tram service will start at 9am and continue up to 1am on 9 July.

The Route C01 bus will operate around the clock. Other public buses will have varied timings:

 

Main bus stations, e.g. the Gold Souk

6, 7 July: 5.20am to 12 midnight (next day)

 

Al Ghubaiba Station; subsidiary stations, such as Al Qusais and Satwa

6, 7 July: 5am to 12 midnight (next day)

 

Al Quoz Industrial Area station

6, 7 July: 5.30am to 11.30pm

 

Jebel Ali station 

6, 7 July: 6am to 10.15pm 

 

Metro feeder service stations such as Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Abu Hail, Etisalat, and Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall

6, 7 July: 5.15am to 1.10am (next day)

 

The service timing of commercial transport and inter-city bus services will be as follows: 

 

Main stations, such as Ghubaiba to:

Sharjah (Jubail): 24 hours 

Abu Dhabi: 5am to 12:50am the following day

 

Subsidiary stations, such as Sabkha will start at 6.30am and continue to 12 midnight. 

Union Square Station: 5am to 12:30am the next day. 

Deira City Center: 6:55am to 10pm. 

Karama Station: 6:10am to 10:15pm. 

Al Ahli Club Station: 7am to 11pm. 

 

External stations: 

Sharjah (Al Taawon): 7am to 11:30pm.

Al Fujairah Station: 6:45am to 10:30pm.

Ajman Station: 6am to 11:30pm.

Hatta Station: 6:30am to 10:40pm.

From 5 to 7 July, water buses at Marina Stations (Marina Mall, Marina Walk, Marina Terrace, and Marina Promenade) will run from 12 noon to 12 midnight. 

Water taxis will operate daily from 9am to 10pm. 

At Al Ghubaiba Station, the water taxi will operate from 4pm to 10pm

At Dubai Marina station it will operate from 2pm to 10pm. 

From Jumeirah Palm Atlantis, the service timings will be from 4pm to 10pm. 

From Jumeirah Palm Station (Rexos) it will run from 11am to 5pm.

Dubai Ferry will operate at Al Ghubaiba and Marina stations during the Eid holidays at 11am, 1pm, and then at 3pm, 5pm and 6:30pm.

The working hours of traditional abra (boats) at Dubai Creek Stations (Al Ghubaiba, Al Sabkha, Baniyas, and Dubai Old Souk) will be from 10am to 12 midnight. The Blue (electrical) abra will operate at Burj Khalifa from 6pm up to 11pm, at Al Mamzar from 2pm to 12 midnight, and at Atlantis from 1pm to 9pm. The air-conditioned abra at Al Jaddaf will operate from 7am to 12 midnight.

All service providers and partner centres will be closed from 5 to 7 July 2016.
Interested?

View detailed Eid al Fitr timings for all RTA services

MARC withdraws rating on Malaysian Merchant Marine

MARC has withdrawn its rating of DID* on Malaysian Merchant Marine’s (MMM's) RM120 million Al Bai’ Bithaman Ajil Islamic Debt Securities (BaIDS).

The rating withdrawal follows the cancellation of the BaIDS programme on June 10, 2016, as confirmed by the facility agent. In MARC’s last rating action on April 2, 2010, the rating was downgraded to DID following MMM’s failure to meet an accelerated repayment of the BaIDS which became immediately due and payable subsequent to the declaration of an event of default and notice of the same by the trustee and security trustee on March 29, 2010.

Interested?

View MARC's list of rating definitions (PDF)

*DID in the MARC scheme refers to failure to make scheduled payment on the instrument issued under the Islamic financing contract(s).

MARC affirms AA-IS rating on Grand Sepadu's sukuk murabahah

MARC has affirmed its AA-IS rating on Grand Sepadu's issuance of RM210 million sukuk murabahah. The outlook on the rating is stable.

Grand Sepadu is the concessionaire of the New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB) expressway until 2032. The 17.5km expressway provides direct connectivity between North Port and major industrial areas in Klang Valley. It has four toll plazas namely Kapar, Kapar Westbound, Kapar Eastbound and Bukit Raja. Grand Sepadu is indirectly equally owned by Taliworks Corporation and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) with a 37.5% stake each.

The stable outlook incorporates MARC’s expectations that the concessionaire will generate stable cashflows to service the sukuk. However, the rating would come under pressure if there is significant downward deviation in Grand Sepadu’s traffic performance. In addition, prolonged toll hike deferrals without timely compensations from the government and/or an aggressive dividend payout policy would negatively affect the rating.

The rating takes into consideration the concessionaire’s adequate cashflow coverage, supported by resilient traffic performance on the NNKSB, which has a mature and fairly stable profile. The rating also factors in the NNKSB’s higher capacity as compared to alternative routes and the concessionaire’s moderately leveraged capital structure.

Moderating the rating are uncertainties associated with the scheduled toll rate hikes and timing of government compensations to maintain its debt service coverage levels. In addition, traffic on the NNKSB is also susceptible to any slowdown in operations at North Port and with industrial activities.

For 2015, the NNKSB registered 0.25% year-on-year (YoY) growth with average daily traffic (ADT) of 87,746 vehicles; this was 2.1% below projections, mainly due to a drop in Class 3 and 5 vehicles at the Bukit Raja toll. Class 3 vehicles are defined as vehicles with three or more axles, while class 5 vehicles are buses. Offsetting the decline was the higher number of Class 5 vehicles at the Kapar and Kapar Westbound toll plazas due to newly-built workers’ quarters in the Kapar area. The growth in traffic volume at the Kapar toll plazas coupled with sufficient liquidity headroom are expected to provide a buffer against traffic under-performance.

For 2015, Grand Sepadu recorded toll revenue of RM41.7 million, 1.7% lower than the projected RM42.4 million. The contribution was mainly from the Bukit Raja and Kapar toll plazas which contributed 35.8% and 44.5% of total revenue respectively. Despite incurring higher-than-expected routine maintenance expenses, the company’s operating profit of RM14 million was 7.5% above projection on the back of lower administrative expenses. This, coupled with lower finance costs, contributed to better profit before tax of RM2.8 million. As at end-December 2015, Grand Sepadu’s cash and bank balances of RM28.1 million are sufficient to cover its existing financial obligations of RM11.2 million in 2016 while its current debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84 times is well below the covenanted 4.5 times.

MARC notes with some concern that Grand Sepadu has yet to receive government approval to implement the toll rate hikes which were scheduled for January 2016. The toll charges are expected to increase by between 10 sen to RM1.20 and are not expected to negatively impact the NNKSB given the capacity constraints of alternative non-tolled roads. Nonetheless, the traffic flow of commercial vehicles which constituted 13.7% of the NNKSB's traffic volume in 2015 (2014: 14%) could be affected given its higher elasticity to toll rate hikes.

In respect of cashflow projections under the base case, the concessionaire will have an average annual free cashflow of RM20.7 million from 2016 till 2027. MARC’s sensitivity analysis shows that Grand Sepadu’s cashflow is able to withstand toll hike deferrals but is more susceptible to traffic volume growth. Traffic volume would need to fall by 4.2% before the covenanted finance service coverage ratio (FSCR) of 1.75 times is breached in 2023. Grand Sepadu would still remain current on its debt service obligations with a minimum FSCR of 1.87 times under a highly stressed scenario of 3% traffic volume reduction and toll hike deferrals throughout the sukuk tenure.

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Refer to the MARC Definitive Ratings Guide for rating definitions (PDF, page 54)

MARC assigns AA-IS rating to Lebuhraya DUKE Fasa 3's sukuk wakalah

MARC has assigned a rating of AA-IS to toll concessionaire Lebuhraya DUKE Fasa 3 (DUKE 3) proposed RM3.64 billion sukuk wakalah with a stable outlook. DUKE 3 was incorporated by Ekovest to undertake the design, construction, financing, operations and maintenance of DUKE Phase 3 expressway under a concession agreement with the Malaysian government in January, 2016. The concession is for a period of 53 years and six months.

The 32.1km expressway is to be elevated and link the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) at Wangsa Maju to the Kerinchi Link on the Federal Highway in Kuala Lumpur.

The proceeds from the sukuk will part fund the estimated RM5.05 billion project cost; the remaining funding will come from a RM560 million interest-free government reimbursable interest assistance (RIA) and RM850 million equity. The proposed debt and equity mix of 83:17 for the Duke Phase 3 project is in line with similar MARC-rated project financing structures. The rating on the proposed sukuk wakalah incorporates the adequate cash flow coverage, the strong track record of the project sponsor, Ekovest, and the importance of the expressway in the transportation development plan for Kuala Lumpur.

The rating is weighed down by the moderate likelihood of lower-than-projected traffic growth arising mainly from competitive alternative mode of transportation. In addition, toll pricing and possible future toll hike deferments as well as the potential impact from the incremental financial obligations on the RIA may pose some risks to the project cash flow.

MARC views the construction risk on the DUKE Phase 3 project to be largely mitigated by the track record of project sponsor Ekovest, which had completed the DUKE Phase 1 project and is currently undertaking the DUKE Phase 2 project that is scheduled for completion by end-2016. A fixed sum turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract amounting to RM3.96 billion has been awarded to Ekovest. Given that DUKE Phase 3’s elevated alignment will pass through the densely populated areas of Chan Sow Lin, Pandan Indah and Wangsa Maju, the construction could be challenging relative to Ekovest’s other projects. Nonetheless, the construction period of 42 months is considered reasonable, while comfort is also drawn from the liquidated ascertained damages provisions under the EPC contract and the progressive buildup of 5% of the total construction cost (or RM184.5 million) over the first 18 months of the construction period to mitigate the risk of construction cost overruns. The buildup funds will be progressively carved-out from the EPC’s gross contract billings as security for the sukuk holders during construction phase.

MARC notes that as 96.5% of the 553.3 acres of land needed for the expressway are either on existing road reserves or have been acquired, land acquisition risk is considered low. The balance of the 19.6 acres is privately held, of which 6.9 acres (13 lots) in the Chan Sow Lin area are in the early stages of negotiation while the rest are at fairly advanced stages. The sizeable government funding set aside for the purchase of land parcels in the Chan Sow Lin area and the limited number of parcels involved minimise the risk relating to the land acquisition in this area.

The rating agency views that the traffic flow on DUKE Phase 3, upon its expected completion in 2020, could be affected by the availability of alternative routes and Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. This notwithstanding, the elevated expressway’s direct connectivity between the heavily congested MRR2 and Federal Highway as well as to other important major toll roads in the Klang Valley mitigates the risk of underutilisation. Based on the traffic study by Perunding Trafik Klasik,
DUKE Phase 3 is expected to achieve a cumulative average daily traffic of 99,840 vehicles from its four toll plazas when tolling operations begin on January 1, 2020. MARC notes that DUKE Phase 3’s relatively steep traffic growth rates in the first five years are supported by low opening traffic volume and the prevailing heavy congestion along competing routes. Excluding the traffic flow during the ramp-up period (2020-2024), traffic volume is expected to grow by a CAGR of 3.2% p.a.

DUKE 3 is projected to achieve minimum and average predistribution finance service cover ratio (FSCR) with cash balances of 2.13 times and 2.29 times respectively during the sukuk tenure. The rating agency notes that the thin project coverage levels are mainly due to the RIA loan repayment that limits DUKE 3 from building up its liquidity reserves at higher levels. The fixed repayment on the RIA will commence in 2023 together with the amortisation of the sukuk, subject to a distribution FSCR of 2.00 times. Nonetheless, the RIA repayments can be deferred (subject to an interest of 8% per annum) and has lower security ranking compared to the sukuk holders.

MARC’s sensitivity analysis reveals that the project cash flow can withstand moderate stresses arising from construction cost overruns and traffic underperformance. The project cash flow is vulnerable to a breach in the minimum FSCR covenant of 1.50 times in 2022 should the construction cost overrun exceed 10%. DUKE 3’s finance service ability would also come under pressure in the event of a 20% reduction in the overall projected traffic volume. Under these stressed scenarios, DUKE 3 is expected to defer most of its debt obligations on the RIA to protect sukuk holders from a further weakening of the cash flow coverage. Sukuk holders are protected from prolonged construction delay of up to 18 months as the prefunded finance service reserve is sufficient to cover the first three semi-annual profit payments.

The stable outlook incorporates MARC’s expectation that the project sponsor will adhere to the predetermined capital commitment under the financing structure and the construction of DUKE Phase 3 will progress on schedule and within budget.

Interested?

Refer to the MARC Definitive Ratings Guide for rating definitions (PDF, page 54)