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Grand railway network project for GCC mooted

This was stated by Mohammed bin Ubeid Al Mazroie, the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, in a lecture at the Information Affairs Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Explaining the GCC railway project, Al Mazroie said, “The project is aimed to achieve coordination, interconnection and integration among the GCC member states in all fields. This will enhance their unity and strengthen relations and cooperation among their peoples.”

Answering a question about the cost a nation has to bear, he said, “The cost will be the same for all nations.”

He indicated that Kuwait briefed the GCC Supreme Council in its 24^th session on the importance of linking the GCC States through different means of transportation that better serve the movement of their citizens, consolidate their interconnection and increase the flow of commercial transportation between the GCC states. This, he said, requires building a rail network that links them and contributes to strengthening the growth of their economies.

According to Al Mazroie, “The GCC Transportation Ministers Committee has been assigned to prepare a detailed feasibility study on the project and present its recommendations to the 25^th Session of the Supreme Council to approve it. In this context, he asked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to prepare the bidding application documents and terms of reference for the feasibility study on the project.”

Al Mazroie stated that the GCC States were witnessing a remarkable growth in different economic and social fields, and they were keen on completing their railway infrastructure in order to reduce the risks resulting from the intensive use of roads by private and public transport and trucks. He also stressed on the importance of the security and economic factors.

He cited the success achieved by using railways in many countries around the world, due to the great capacity and effectiveness of trains compared to the other transportation systems.

The rail track will run along Eastern Coast of the Arabian Peninsula linking the six GCC member states, from Kuwait to Muscat, running in particular through the industrial ports and areas in the Arab Gulf.

He said the railway project complements other major projects such the GCC grid network, water linkage, and the intelligent ID card project that will facilitate movement of GCC citizens between the Gulf countries.

“Two holy cities, Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia will also be connected to all GCC nations to facilitate those people who visit the city for holy pilgrimage, “ he said in reply to a question.

The revenues of the project were estimated in a 2004 study at 7 per cent, but this will change in the light of the new feasibility study and the increasing economic growth and development in the region, he observed.

When asked whether other countries will join this project he said, “Iraq will join this and Turkey is supposed to join it later likewise we hope about Yemen as well.”

He outlined the contents of the final report related to the feasibility study in general, the type of railway line and its environmental impacts, the obstacles lying ahead and the means of overcoming them, and the costs and time frame for implementing the project.

He expressed his keenness to accomplish the project as soon as possible after the final feasibility study is completed and approved.

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