One rail system to connect us all

Over the past three years, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has experienced an unprecedented rail boom. Rapid population growth and increasing road-traffic congestion have encouraged governments to take a serious look at light and mass transportation, leading to over $30 billion worth of investment in the industry.

In the last 12 months alone, construction on the Dubai Light Rail project, also known as the Dubai Metro, has gathered pace. Tenders for the Saudi Landbridge project have also been issued and awards have been made on the Kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar minerals railway.

An increasing number of ambitious public transport projects are being developed and launched in MENA. In the coming months and years, a combination of metro, rail and bus systems, along with enhanced road networks, will become a reality. With rapid population growth in countries throughout the region, development is set to continue for many years.

A railway system linking the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain could be in place within three years, said Mohammed bin Ubeid Al Mazroie, the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, during a lecture at the Information Affairs Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in Abu Dhabi recently.

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.”

UAE The UAE Road and Transport Authority has devised an ambitious plan to increase the uplift share of mass transit in the number of trips to 30%.

This includes the implementation of the Dubai Metro project at a base cost in excess of Dh 15.8 billion. Abu Dhabi’s master development plan includes an inter-city train network and metro lines. The plan, aimed to develop the emirate up to 2030, will see an expansion of the transport network to accommodate the expected growth of Abu Dhabi’s population to three million (m) by that year.

“Intensive work is needed,” says His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayan, President of the UAE, “to develop the UAE to the level of the most advanced nations.”

The UAE is finalising a 350-kilometre (km) national railway network plan to ease road congestion, according to Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Government Sector Development. The track will link Abu Dhabi to the east coast and will eventually connect to the proposed GCC-wide railway network. The minister says the UAE government wants to reduce the number of container trucks that ply between the emirates and ease the trucking congestion by creating a railway system for both passengers and cargo.

Saudi Arabia This November, Saudi Arabia will receive proposals from four consortia for the construction of its long awaited railway project. Abdulaziz Al Huqail, President of the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO), says the project includes construction of a 950-km railway from Jeddah to link with the existing Dammam-Riyadh railway, a new 115-km line from Dammam to Jubail, as well as numerous projects to upgrade Saudi’s existing rail network.

The project is expected to add significant value to the national economy, and will serve all GCC states. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Finance has also awarded a $765m contract to a group comprising Mitsui & Co. Ltd, Barclay Mowlem Ltd. and Al Rashid to provide civil and track work services for a 508-mile stretch of the new North South Railway line.

GCC Rail System The six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is studying the possibility of constructing a rail network that will link its member countries. The rail network, estimated to cost $6 billion (SR22.5 billion), will later be expanded to cover other Arab states.

An initial study, presented at the recent GCC summit held in Manama, proposes construction of two lines. The first will be 1,970-km long, stretching from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and through a bridge to Qatar, and from Doha to the UAE and then to Muscat. The second line, 1,984-km long, will start from Kuwait and pass through Saudi Arabia and the UAE, ending in Oman. Connecting points will be in Bahrain and Qatar.

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

The network will also connect the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah in Saudi Arabia to all GCC nations, facilitating those who visit the cities for holy pilgrimage.

The study, conducted by the Al Khaleej Financial Study Center in Kuwait, outlines the overall benefits of the project and suggests that the railroad could be connected to seaports in some countries. Extensions could be made into inner parts of the GCC countries by their governments or the private sector. The initial study also has details on cost and positive effects in regard to economic and political impact and points out that the railroad will eliminate delay at border checkpoints.

The key advantage of the network is that it will link the Arabian Gulf with the Mediterranean Sea for passenger and cargo movement. Officials and experts agree the railroad will no doubt boost the region’s economy. The railway will also be a milestone in the history of Gulf unity.

FINANCING OF THE PROJECT The GCC railway has a wide range of financial options, including private sector investment through setting up of stock companies and government funding. The council is expected to name a reputable and experienced consultant soon to conduct a more elaborate and detailed study of the project. This study will deal with the size of the project, its complications and the required extent of cooperation of the countries involved. The cost implications, according to Mohammed bin Ubeid Al Mazroie, the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs, will be the same for all the nations involved.

Initial estimates are that the project will cost between $5.5-6 billion and will take up to four years to complete.

The railroad project is not anticipated to negatively affect other means of transportation, particularly aviation, because population and cargo movement among the GCC countries is growing rapidly. The region has continuously registered the highest growth in the world, resulting in passengers having to wait up to two days for air bookings during seasonal rushes.

Saudi Arabia has offered to carry out a feasibility study of the GCC railway project, as the project would help the flow of people and goods within the GCC. The study, which will include bidding proposals, is expected to be completed in six months.