Qatar To KSA GCC Railway Link Construction to Begin Soon

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Freight train is seen on a railway station in Riyadh that links Riyadh and the port of Dammam in Saudi Arabia October 31, 2012. Official figures suggest around $100 billion may be spent by the end of this decade laying about 6,000 kilometres (3,750 miles) of track for both national lines and a route linking all the states in the Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. To match Feature GULF-RAILWAY/ REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS) - RTR39T96

The US$ 250bn project for the Qatar to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Gulf Cooperation Council (Qatar to KSA GCC) railway link construction has been set to begin soon, according to Jaddum Said Ahmed asSulaiti, the country’s minister of transport.

Already, all the necessary groundwork for the project, the detailed engineering designs, as well as the work plan, has been completed, and sponsorship offers and bids are expected to go out within this year.

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The scope of the project covers the construction of a 2,177km long railway at a projected to cost US$ 250bn. The cost according to reports will be shared among the six GCC countries, i.e Saudia Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Sharing costs

Each of the countires will contributute according to the length of the rail network that will be in their respective territories, and each of the six GCC countries will bear the responsibility of the implementation of their portion of the Qatar to KSA GCC railway link construction.

The construction of their branch stations, railway lines, and freight terminals will also be each of the six GCC countries’ responsibility. Since the United Arab Emirates and Saudia Arabia are big, they will consequently spend the most on the project followed by Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.

Expectations for the Qatar To KSA GCC Railway

Qatar Railways, the development agency of the Qatar network and Etihad Railways, the UAE and Oman Railways development agency in the Sultanate will oversee the construction of the railway sections in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Upon completion the railway will be used mainly to move cargo and passengers between the two countries within a few hours, facilitating and efficient travel between the two countries.