Construction and Infrastructure

When Qatar won the bid to host the 22nd FIFA World Cup™ in 2010 ahead of bids from heavyweights like the United States, South Korea, Japan, and Australia, many wondered if this beautiful yet very small country would be able to take on the challenge of hosting the greatest sporting event on the planet and will Qatar have everything ready on time to welcome over 1.2 million visitors from over 200 countries to a nation with a population of about 1.6 million people at the time.

The Sangster International Airport (SIA) is the primary gateway to Jamaica, enabling the transit of more than 85% of tourists arriving on the island. In 2019, SIA received over 4.7 million total passengers. The operators aim for it to remain a significant terminal in the Caribbean and to be recognized globally as a leading tourist destination.

Rwanda’s Transport Development Authority (RTDA) faces a stern challenge to deliver on its mandate. Firstly, there are the budgetary restrictions that come with being a low-income country. Next, there is the country’s population density: At 416 people per square kilometre, Africa’s highest. Finally, Rwanda is known as the ‘land of a thousand hills’ - outlining, in the plainest of terms, what might be the biggest challenge of all.

One of the many impacts of ongoing climate change has been an increase in flooding. As sea levels continue to rise, flooding events have become increasingly common in low-lying flood plains. In Guyana, where approximately 90% of the country’s population resides on the coastal plain, which is typically between 0.5 and 1 metre below average sea levels. Compounding matters, the country’s sea level rises have exceeded those of the global average for decades.

Flooding has become more common in recent decades around the world. This phenomenon has had a growing impact, as measured by infrastructure damage, loss of life, and loss of economic output. Flooding events frequently cause significant disruptions in economic and social life in the Caribbean subregion. The region already known for its storm season has more experience than most in dealing with the consequences of weather events.

The EllisDon Infrastructure Justice consortium has been awarded a CAD1.2 billion (US$941 million) fixed-price contract for the Thunder Bay Correctional Complex project by Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Canada. EllisDon Capital Inc., EllisDon Facilities Services Inc., EllisDon Corporation, Zeidler Architecture Inc., and DLR Group Inc. are part of the EllisDon Infrastructure Justice consortium.

Birmingham Highways Limited (BHL) the purpose vehicle (SPV) between joint shareholders Equitix and PIP Infrastructure Investments has published a shortlist of two prequalified contractors for the operation and maintenance of the Birmingham PFI road network project.

For the next 12 years, the GBP2.7 billion (USD3.33 billion) project will operate and maintain 2,500 kilometres of road, nearly 100,000 street lights, and over 850 highway constructions and bridges throughout Birmingham, England's West Midlands region.

Perhaps more than any change currently underway in Africa, the continent’s ongoing massive investments in developing the infrastructure's economic enablers point to a highly prosperous and brighter future. The pace of progress is furious.

Anyone who has read about World War I in any depth will be familiar with the Battle of Çanakkale - also known as the Gallipoli Campaign. When British and French forces attacked Istanbul in an attempt to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, they got quite a lot more than they bargained for. The Turkish resistance was so mighty that it became encapsulated in the now common Turkish phrase: “Çanakkale is impassable.” And now, over a century later, it gives its name to a megaproject.

Despite a national history of international wayfaring, strong domestic infrastructure, and several world class companies spread across multiple industries, Portugal’s companies have been relatively slow to globalize, when compared to companies from other European countries. Thanks to the example set by a small cohort of companies, the renowned construction company Mota Engil among them, that may all be about to change.