GCC railway design review has become the latest procurement focus as Saudi Arabia advances its 672km section. Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has launched a new consultancy tender covering design management and review for the regional railway. The move follows earlier design procurement for the Saudi section of the GCC railway network. The wider project aims to connect all six Gulf Cooperation Council member states through an integrated rail system.
The GCC Railway carries an initial investment estimate of about $15 billion, although the figure remains subject to increase. The network will span about 2,177km under the established regional plan.
SAR published the latest tender on 11 September 2026 under tender number 799765. The procurement covers Design Management and Review Consultancy for the GCC Railway Design. The tender description identifies the requirement as design management and review consultancy for the GCC Railway Network.
GCC railway design review tender strengthens Saudi section
The latest procurement builds on SAR’s earlier design consultancy tender issued in May 2026. That earlier tender covered concept design, preliminary design and Issued for Construction design services. It also required the consultant to review, update and complete existing preliminary designs.
Consultants submitted proposals for that earlier package on 14 July. The bidders included Atkins with Khatib & Alami and Deutsche Bahn with ARX. Egis partnered with Sener, while Idom partnered with Dar Al-Handasah. Systra also submitted a proposal for the consultancy package.
The latest tender therefore places additional emphasis on managing and reviewing the railway’s design development. It also creates another procurement milestone before major construction packages can advance across the Saudi section. The Saudi route will run from Al-Khafji near Kuwait to Al-Batha near the UAE border. It will pass through the Eastern Province and connect with major regional railway infrastructure.
GCC railway design review targets cross-border integration
The Saudi section will interface with Kuwait’s national railway project at the northern border. At the southern end, it will connect toward the UAE railway network at Al-Batha. The railway forms part of a wider corridor linking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman.
The planned network combines passenger and freight services across the six member states. International Railway Journal reports passenger trains will operate at up to 220km/h. Freight services will operate at speeds ranging between 80km/h and 120km/h.
Meanwhile, Kuwait has already advanced its section through a separate engineering consultancy contract. Kuwait awarded Proyapi Muhendislik a contract covering study, detailed design and tender documentation. The reported contract value reached about $8m, based on the awarded KD2.4m price.
The separate Kuwait procurement demonstrates the network’s country-by-country delivery structure. Consequently, design coordination remains critical as individual national sections move through different procurement stages.
Saudi Arabia has already demonstrated its capacity to deliver major urban rail infrastructure through the Riyadh Metro, which spans 176km across six lines and 85 stations. The Riyadh Metro project reached full operational capacity in January 2025, providing a domestic reference point as the country advances the much larger GCC Railway project.
Also read: Mecca Metro Project: $16.5 Billion Pilgrimage Rail Network Moves Towards October Design Deadline
Saudi section prepares for future construction
SAR’s latest tender does not represent a construction award for the 672km Saudi railway section. Instead, it concerns consultancy services supporting design management and review. The procurement notice gives 18 October 2026 as the quotation submission deadline.
The design work will help establish the technical foundation for future railway construction packages. It will also support consistency between Saudi infrastructure and neighboring GCC railway sections.
The wider network has progressed unevenly across the Gulf. For example, Hafeet Rail has advanced construction of the UAE-Oman connection. The 303km Hafeet Rail project links Abu Dhabi with Sohar and has begun track-laying activities.
Therefore, Saudi Arabia’s renewed design procurement adds momentum to the wider regional rail programme. However, construction delivery across the complete GCC network still depends on separate national procurement decisions.
Also read: NEOM Oxagon Freight Rail Connection: $500 Billion Giga-Project Plans 400km Link to SAR Network
Project Fact Sheet
Project: GCC Railway Network
Saudi section: Approximately 672km
Saudi route: Al-Khafji to Al-Batha
Northern interface: Kuwait National Rail Road
Southern interface: UAE railway network
Wider network length: Approximately 2,177km
Participating countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman
Estimated initial investment: Approximately $15 billion, subject to increase
Latest tender: Design Management and Review Consultancy for the GCC Railway Design
Tender number: 799765
Latest tender publication: 11 September 2026
Latest quotation deadline: 18 October 2026
Earlier design scope: Concept, preliminary and Issued for Construction design
Passenger operating speed: Up to 220km/h
Freight operating speed: 80km/h to 120km/h
Railway function: Passenger and freight transportation
Procurement status: Design management and review consultancy
Project Team
Project owner and Saudi railway authority: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR)
Saudi railway section: Saudi Arabia Railways
Earlier design consultancy bidders: Atkins and Khatib & Alami
Design consultancy consortium: Deutsche Bahn and ARX
Engineering consortium: Egis and Sener
Engineering consultancy consortium: Idom and Dar Al-Handasah
Design consultancy bidder: Systra
Kuwait railway authority: Kuwait Public Authority for Roads and Transportation
Kuwait design consultant: Proyapi Muhendislik ve Musavirlik Anonim Sirketi
UAE-Oman rail developer: Hafeet Rail
UAE national railway operator: Etihad Rail
Regional framework: Gulf Cooperation Council member states
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