Long-delayed GCC Railway to kick off by 2030: GCC transport ministers set December 2030 as a target date for the launch of the GCC railway project at the 25th meeting of the Committee of GCC Ministers of Transport and Communications in Muscat, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.

2024 budget approved: The meeting also endorsed the 2024 budget of the GCC Railway Authority and approved laws and regulations governing the authority’s administration, finances, procurement, and storage, ONA added, without disclosing further details about the budget or the approved laws. The ministerial meeting also recommended a unified framework for ballast water tests at GCC ports besides other regulatory measures.

Background: Proposals for a 2.1k km railway linking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Qatar were ratified as early as 2009 but numerous delays meant that feasibility studies were only completed in May of this year. The project was projected to cost some USD 15 bn in investments. The GCC Railway Authority was earlier this year coordinating with members to ensure that all countries involved adhere to unified standards when constructing proposed links. The Saudi cabinet later gave its go-ahead to a 111 km freight and passenger railway connection with Kuwait as part of the initiative in September.

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