The Saudi government signed contracts worth US$630mn with national companies to work on road projects across the kingdom.

A five-year project for French engineering group Alstom to build an above-ground urban metro line in Baghdad will cost US$1.5 billion and be funded by the French government and banks, Iraqi officials said.

Dubai has hired four local and international banks to raise US$800mn by securitising Salik road toll receipts and will use the proceeds to fund infrastructure projects according to a recent government statement.

The Salalah Bypass will be fully operational in 2011 after a year of construction work has taken place on the US$ 50.6mn high way development in Salalah.