British engineering company Atkins became the latest construction-related firm to cut jobs in the region. Atkins cut about 100 of its 2,000 Middle East staff because of challenging economic conditions. Atkins said that the job losses from its property and infrastructure teams were the result of a continued slowdown in both the UAE real estate market and infrastructure sectors. The company has been heavily involved in designing the initial stages of Etihad Rail in the UAE, while in Qatar it is currently working on designs for Doha Metro Red Line South and in Saudi Arabia it is working on designs for the Riyadh Metro. In Dubai the company is working on major real estate projects such as Emaar’s Dubai Opera District. (The National)