Saudi Arabia to Begin Massive Railway Project

Saudi Arabia approved a US$25 billion dollar railway project that will link Bahrain and the other Arab countries along the Persian Gulf.

The 2,117-kilometer rail system will consist of four lines. One line will start in Kuwait, pass through the eastern Saudi city of Damam, connect via a new bridge with Bahrain and end in Qatar. A second line will connect Saudi Arabia with the United Arab Emirates through Bathaa. The railway line will also run through Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to reach Oman through Sahar and Muscat, and a fourth will connect Qatar and Bahrain.

Invitations to tender will be issued in April for four tunnelling packages worth between US$2 billion and US$3 billion for the first sections of a 213-kilometer route in Doha, according to the Railway Gazette International. The contracts are expected to be awarded in October.

The Saudi government will spend approximately US$3.1 billion on land acquisition and US$1.8 billion on trains. Work on the railway will begin this year and is scheduled to be completed by 2017 before the 2022 FIFA World Cup football tournament in Qatar.