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Doha: The Oxford Business Group said in a report that the long-awaited GCC Railway looks likely to be revitalised, noting that such a move could transform trade and connectivity across the Gulf.
On its website, the Oxford Business Group affirmed that the project was given a significant boost in December last year when leaders of the six GCC countries approved the establishment of the GCC Railways Authority, the body that is expected to oversee the coordination of the project.
“The proposed project aims to connect all six GCC countries via a 2177-km railway. Starting in Kuwait City in the north, the rail line will pass through the coastal cities of Jubail and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, before heading through Bahrain’s capital Manama and Doha, the capital of Qatar. The line would then cut back into Saudi Arabia before moving to the UAE, where it would pass through major cities Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah, before reaching its terminal station in Muscat, the capital of Oman,” said the report.
The development of the railway would significantly improve regional connectivity by reducing transportation times and costs between major GCC cities and ports, improving trade flows across the bloc and attracting more investment.