eva‎luating the Efficiency of Rail Freight Transportation in the Middle East an‎d North Africa Using Data Envelopment Analysis Method

10/16/2025 12:00:00 AM

Countries of the Middle East an‎d North Africa (MENA) region over the period 2005–2024, using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. Considering the critical role of rail transport as a key instrument for sustainable development an‎d logistics cost reduction, assessing the performance of countries in this sector provides a solid foundation for strategic decision-making an‎d regional transport policy formulation. To achieve this goal, the research employs two complementary analytical approaches. In the first approach, countries are treated as Decision-Making Units (DMUs), an‎d their relative efficiency scores are compared annually over a twenty-year period. In the second approach, each country is analyzed individually through a time-based intra-country assessment to identify changes in efficiency trends over time. The DEA model uses inputs such as railway line length, number of employees, number of freight wagons, an‎d number of locomotives, an‎d outputs including total freight tonnage an‎d ton-kilometers. The results reveal significant disparities in performance among the studied countries. Morocco, Iran, an‎d Saudi Arabia recorded the highest levels of efficiency throughout most of the study period, while Algeria, Sudan, an‎d Egypt exhibited relatively weak performance. The findings further indicate that political stability, continuous governmental commitment to the railway sector, an‎d the degree of network connectivity to industrial an‎d economic centers are among the main factors influencing the efficiency of rail freight transport. Countries with stable policies an‎d targeted investments in these areas have achieved more consistent an‎d sustainable performance compared with others. Finally, the study offers policy recommendations an‎d directions for future research, aiming to establish a scientific an‎d practical framework for improving rail freight efficiency an‎d overall transport productivity across the MENA region.

تحليل پوششي داده‌ها (DEA)، ارزيابي كارايي، حمل‌ونقل ريلي، كشورهاي منطقه MENA , تحليل پوششي داده‌ها (DEA) , ارزيابي كارايي , حمل‌ونقل ريلي , كشورهاي منطقه MENA

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) , Efficiency eva‎luation , Railway Transportation , MENA Countries

Seyed Ali Hosseini

Dr. Hamidreza Ahadi