Saudi cabinet greenlights GCC railway plans

Saudi cabinet greenlights GCC railway plans

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet approved the Kingdom’s accession to the GCC railway agreement in a session held yesterday, state news agency SPA reports. The decision moves the long-discussed Gulf rail network — first floated more than a decade ago — closer to execution.

REFRESHER- The project is a 2.1k-km railway that aims to link the six GCC member states. Numerous delays have long stalled the railway, which was projected to cost some USD 15 bn back in 2023.

The war seems to have put some urgency on the project. Saudi Arabia Railways launched a tender for design consultancy services for its portion of the railway last week, while Kuwait approved the right-of-way and land allocation for the rail link connecting Kuwait to Saudi Arabia as part of the project.

Connecting Yanbu, Jeddah, Ain Sokhna, and Aqaba

Folk Maritime launched its Red Sea Express shipping service in Yanbu’s King Fahad Industrial Port, connecting it to Jeddah Islamic Port, Egypt’s Ain Sokhna Port, and Jordan’s Aqaba Port, according to a statement from Mawani. The service has a 1.1k standard container capacity.