Muscat:The General agreement for the GCC Railway Project was signed on Sunday in Manama in the presence of Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Jasem Mohammed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Ministers of Transport and Communications of all six states were present on the occasion.
The project is 56% complete, and the General Agreement seeks to integrate the railway linking all the GCC states under a single, integrated, and interoperable regional network, for effective interconnectedness.
What is the agreement
The GCC Railway Project is an shared ambition to build an integrated transportation system, enhancing connectivity between the GCC states and facilitating the movement of citizens and residents.
A Pivotal Milestone
The signing of the General Agreement establishes a common framework that regulates the commitments of member states, unifies implementation and operation efforts, and enhances integration with national railway networks.
Tangible Progress Towards Full Operation
55.92% is the overall completion rate of the project to date, with December 2030 targeted as the date for full operation
Enhancing Economic and Trade Integration
The project will support intra-GCC trade and the movement of goods, connecting economic and industrial centers, ports, and logistics hubs, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the GCC economies. It opens up opportunities for providing safe, reliable, economical, and environmentally friendly transport services, in accordance with common technical and operational specifications and approved safety and sustainability standards.
The project enhances employment and investment opportunities and supports economic and social ties among the peoples of the GCC countries, fulfilling their aspirations for a more interconnected and prosperous future.
The project will cover 2,117 kilometers, connecting Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman through an integrated railway network designed to transport both passengers and freight.
Passenger trains will reach speeds of around 200 kilometers per hour, while freight trains will operate at speeds ranging from 80 to 120 kilometers per hour.
The project is scheduled to become fully operational by December 2030, with the possibility of launching completed cross-border sections between neighboring countries ahead of that date.
The network could carry more than 8 million passengers and 95 million tonnes of goods by 2045.
The railway network is also expected to reduce freight transportation costs, provide additional travel options, and stimulate investment in transportation, warehousing, and related services.
The project's progress will depend on the member states' adherence to implementation schedules, the integration of border and operational systems, and the transformation of the network into a unified Gulf transportation system.
The trial operations for the railway link connecting the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will begin next year.Trial operations for the train connecting the Sultanate of Oman and the UAE will begin in the fourth quarter of 2027," the Minister of Transport," Eng. Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT) said recently.
Hafeet Rail will cover the extend 238 km between Suhar and Abu Dhabi in 100 minutes, and between Suhar and Al Ain in 47 minutes.
Freight trains will operate at a maximum speed of 120 km/h.
The 650 km Saudi–Kuwait corridor is scheduled to be ready around 2028 and a high-speed electric link connecting Riyadh and Doha is also underaway.
Inside the UAE, Passenger train operations officially launched on June 30, 2026, connecting Abu Dhabi and Fujairah in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The network expanded to Dubai in September this year.
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