SIFC lines up $40 billion investment pipeline across energy, infrastructure, IT

According to Business Recorder, the Special Investment Facilitation Council has assembled investment projects valued at roughly $40 billion across several sectors. SIFC Secretary Jamil Qureshi briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Affairs Division on Monday. The pipeline spans industry, oil and gas, railways, roads, power, digital services, pharmaceuticals, tourism and farming, as the government seeks to revive stalled projects tied to the UAE and other GCC states.

The prime minister has asked authorities to push these delayed schemes forward through better coordination and facilitation. SIFC blamed slow responses and weak federal-provincial coordination for early setbacks, though closer institutional ties have since widened the pipeline. The committee wants regulatory, financial and administrative hurdles cleared to turn ideas into concrete projects. Separately, it judged the $60 billion export objective for 2030 unrealistic, citing costly gas and power, a restrictive monetary stance and heavy taxes.

The Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway, covering about 1,800 kilometres, now carries a revised estimate of $6.68-$6.80 billion, down from roughly $9 billion after a design reassessment. Lead financing is under discussion with the Asian Development Bank, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and World Bank have made co-financing pledges. The line is designed to handle 160 kilometres per hour, but the envisaged operating speed reaches 120 kilometres per hour at most, and construction is expected to take about three years.