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$25bn worth giant rail network likely to link GCC nations
A giant rail network, worth $25billion, linking the six GCC nations is likely to begin operations in 2017, an official has announced.
The GCC Assistant Secretary General, Mohammed Obaid Al-Mazroui, said that the preliminary studies of the project, which is expected to cover 2000 km, has been studied and approved by GCC leaders.
The GCC Secretariat, in co-operation with Gulf and International Consultants, is now preparing detailed implementation studies of the project. If the actual process of implementation begins this year, the Gulf train will be ready by 2017, Mazroui said.
The initial estimates put the cost at $14billion, but the expense increased to $25billion, following GCC leaders demand for better specifications and faster trains, he said.
The cost will be divided among GCC member states, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE, and Saudi Arabia, depending on the length of the network in each country, with Saudi Arabia and UAE having to pay the biggest shares, Mazroui said.
The project was approved by GCC leaders during their 2004 annual summit. The network will run from Kuwait border with Iraq in the north to Oman in the south.
Initial plans were made to link Gulf rail to Europe through Turkey, Iran and Iraq. Rail transport has been the preferred mode of transport among Gulf States, which largely depend on road and air.
Saudi Rabia, which is now has just a single line between Riyadh and Dammam, plans to introduce several new lines linking its main cities.
Kuwait has been considering establishing a railway company to construct a domestic network.
Meanwhile, Dubai has already launched the first Gulf Metro.
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