Government and railway officials plan to visit the Middle East in early February to attend forums aimed at promoting Japan's railway technology and help turn Tokyo into a major player in the global infrastructure business, the trade ministry said Thursday.
Local government officials will be invited to the forums scheduled for Feb. 3 in Abu Dhabi and Feb. 5 in Riyadh. Organizers of the events include a Japanese association of trading companies and manufacturers of railway cars and train car parts.
Japanese officials will promote the safety and durability of the country's railway systems and try to impress potential buyers with the smooth passenger flows, automated fare collection systems and safety measures at station platforms, an official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The official expressed hope that the seminars will help boost the share of Japanese companies in the railway business in the Middle East.
Among the participants are officials of METI, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, East Japan Railway Co., Tokyo Metro Co., Itochu Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., the official said.
Under a government growth strategy, Japan is stepping up its efforts to export infrastructure technologies, particularly those related to railways and nuclear power plants, through collaboration between the public and private sectors in response to strong demand from overseas.