EconomyGulf region

Gulf states sign railway pact as network nears 56% completion

Six Gulf Cooperation Council countries signed a common operating framework for their railway. The network is 55.9% complete and aims for full operations by December 2030, which could ease regional trade and travel.

Illustration: A single railway line stretching across a flat desert plain at sunrise, with a sleek passenger train on the far part of the track and bare unfinished track in the foreground.
Illustration

Gulf Arab states signed an agreement setting up a common operating framework for their regional railway network. The project is 55.9% complete. Full operations are targeted for December 2030.

Jasem Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, announced the signing in Manama, Bahrain. He described it as a step toward linking national railway systems and improving transport connections across the six-member bloc.

Illustration: A seen-from-above view of a modern coastal city on an island at dusk, with a conference hall beside the water and a few small figures walking along the waterfront.
Illustration

The network is planned to run 2,100 km. Six countries have agreed to the project.

Railway project progress

Complete (about 56%): 56 percent Remaining: 44 percent

Figures are from the Gulf Cooperation Council.

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