The Gulf Railway project would give Oman its first train line | World | News
A £196bn mega-project would give a huge country its first-ever train line.
The Gulf Railway in the Middle East is a proposed rail system connecting the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
The 1,353-mile line will connect Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It would be Oman’s first railway.
Each state in the council is responsible for implementing the portion of the project that lies within its territory and will construct its own railway lines and branches, stations and freight terminals.
Estimated to cost £196billion to build, construction is yet to start despite being scheduled to open in 2025.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia would spend the most on the project, followed by Oman where the project would be run by Oman Rail.
It was first proposed and approved by the GCC in 2009, with Saudi Arabia being the only member with any rail infrastructure at the time. The original deadline was 2018 which was then postponed in 2016 to 2021.
The line would begin in Kuwait City (Kuwait) and pass through Dammam and Al-Batha Port (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi and Al Ain (UAE), and Sohar before finishing in Muscat (Oman).
David Briginshaw, editor-in-chief of the International Railway Journal, stated that the low price of oil and minerals resulting in budget deficits among GCC members is the primary reason hindering the project.
Briginshaw said: “Low oil prices affect investment, and obviously Oman’s project is designed to take minerals to the coast, so if there isn’t demand it brings the whole project into question.”
The Gulf Railway is the second-largest construction project in the world. First is NEOM, over 10,000 square miles being filled with wonders including a 105-mile city in a straight line.
