I'm just bringing you this short piece of fresh news published today:

According to AMEinfo.com:

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to launch its first public private partnership (PPP) as Dubai changes its model for financing infrastructure projects in the emirate, Meed has reported. The RTA's first project involves the development of a Dhs200m ($54m) water transportation scheme that will run along the coastline of Dubai, with the possibility of extending the service into neighbouring emirates including Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.

There is no other recent information on the topic. If anybody has any more information on the project, please, it would be great if you share with us. Leave a comment or send us an email to: ppp.news.aggregator@gmail.comUpdate August 20thAccording to: Project World Awareness

Potential advisers for the scheme have already been approached and the RTA is expected to select a group of consultants to run the bidding for the scheme before the end of August. Advisers were invited to bid in consortiums of legal, financial and technical consultants to the RTA by late July. Clarification meetings were held in mid-August.

The RTA hopes the private sector will take on the operation of 10 ferries, each with 100 passenger capacity and develop docking stations along the Dubai coast under a seven-year franchise agreement.

The RTA faces significant time pressures to develop the scheme quickly. Construction of the ferries is due to be completed by a Chinese supplier in October and if the RTA does not pay for them soon after that date it will begin to incur financial penalties.

It also discusses the existence of other opportunities for private companies:

Sources close to the RTA also say the company is looking at using the PPP model to develop multi-storey car parks around the emirate. Abu Dhabi is already planning to develop around 30 multi-storey car parks in partnership with the private sector.

Dubai is increasingly moving towards private sector provision of services and development of infrastructure. Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (Dewa) is making progress towards its first independent power and water project (IWPP) at Hassyan. The UK's HSBC has been selected to advise on the development of the scheme.

So here you go, I don't think this water transporation project will attract much interest. However the car parks and other big infrastructure PPP projects could be more suitable to develop a solid framework in Dubai.Update Janauary 8thAccording to Steel Guru:

MEED reported that Dubai's Roads & Transport Authority has granted a second extension to the deadline for companies to submit expressions of interest in developing a water transport system along the coastline of the emirate.

The deadline has now been put back to January 17th 2011, after originally being scheduled for November 18th 2010 and then pushed back to December 2nd 2011.

They also report a nice pool of bidder interested in the tender process:

A source close to the scheme that it has already attracted interested from at least 10 bidders, including local and international firms

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