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29 March 2024

Saudi restricts rail deal to GCC

Published
By Staff

Saudi Arabia is about to award a contract to construct nearly 663 km of rail lines within the planned train network in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the head of the Saudi railways organisation (SRO) said in remarks published on Monday.

Mohammed Al Suwaiket also said a study on a project to link Saudi Arabia with nearby Bahrain through a fast train on the planned new bridge would be ready soon.

Suwaiket told the Saudi Arabic language daily 'Al Riyadh' that the Gulf Kingdom, the largest Arab economy, has already started measures to execute its part of the GCC rail, adding that the regional rail project is “progressing as planned without obstacles.”

He said the USD multi-billion GCC rail, which will run nearly 2,170 km, will emanate from Kuwait and pass through the eastern Saudi port of Dammam towards Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the UAE, Sohar in Oman before ending in Muscat.

Suwaiket said the GCC train, to be ready in 2018, would be devoted to cargo services in its early operation stages before it is expanded to transport of passengers.

“The rail part inside Saudi Arabia will be around 663km long… we are currently putting the finishing touches for awarding the contract to the company which has presented the best design for this project,” he said.

Suwaiket said a fast train service would also be built on the planned 25-km King Hamad causeway linking Saudi Arabia with Bahrain.

“The final study on this project has reached its final stages and it will be ready for execution soon,” he added.