Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Transport, and in cooperation with the League of Arab Sates and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), organized "The Arab Transport Forum: Land, Maritime, River and Air Transport" in Cairo, Egypt on October 30, 2008 with the presence of 350 participants.

The timing of the Forum coincided with a meeting of the Council of Arab Transport Ministers in Cairo thus allowing an ideal opportunity for dialogue and networking between public officials and private sector leaders in the Arab transport industry.

The Forum also came at a time of rapid economic growth in the region and major structural changes in the Arab and international transport industry under the impact of the sharp rise in fuel costs and the development of new transport modes. As such, it shed light on the transport sector in Egypt and ongoing development plans and projects, particularly joint public-private sector projects. Key transportation projects in the Arab world have been highlighted and discussed, as well as the role of logistics services in stimulating demand for transport facilities and projects, and the importance of new technology in the sector and the extent to which it is being invested and applied in Egypt and the Arab world.

Additionally, the Forum featured key investment opportunities in the transport sector in the Arab world covering:

• Ports and maritime transport
• Highways and Arab road transport networks
• Railways and subways
• Schemes for expanding European transport networks towards Arab countries in the southern Mediterranean
• River transport
• Air transport

The conference attracted wide participation from Arab transport ministers from Egypt, Jordan, KSA and Tunisia on top of 350 participants from over 16 countries, other public sector officials and policy makers, private sector leaders in the transport industry, the heads of major companies involved in transport and related activities, and many others.