DOHA: Rail projects have become a point of focus in the GCC with multi-billion dollar investments being made by each Gulf state, including Qatar.
A countrywide $11bn railway network in the UAE with 1,500km will be rolled out over the next 7-8 years. Moreover, Abu Dhabi has revealed plans for a new rail network serving the city of Al Ain in the emirate's Eastern Region, an expert said.
Satish Khanna, General Manager, Al Fajer Information and Services said that it will be common for a person to travel from Dubai to Jeddah or Abu Dhabi to Doha in few hours in the near future.
"The last five years have seen the announcement of a series of transport projects by various Gulf countries, including railway projects. In order to meet the pressing regional logistics demands, the next 10-15 years will see transport projects worth $170bn. Out of this, 85 percent will be spent by UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Precisely over $108bn will be spent in the railways sector alone", he said.
There are huge upcoming railway projects in the Middle East. The GCC's rail sector is a rising sector. The GCC network will include one rail line of 1,970km connecting all GCC countries and Qatar via a bridge.
The second line of 1,984km will stretch between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and end in Oman. An effective rail network will fortify the region's position as a major global energy and trading hub.
Saudi Arabia is planning a railway line connecting the Kingdom to Europe. Saudi Arabia is spending $25bn on its rail network adding 3,900km of track through three major projects.
The country has already begun work on four different railway projects. Focus will be on 1,000km land-bridge, East-West Railway project, running from Jeddah and Dammam and bridging the gap between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.
A metro light rail network is also planned in Doha. On the other side, Bahrain is planning a $8bn railway project stretching 184km and will include light rail trains, monorails and other transportation systems.
The Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) will host a GulfRail show in 2012, which will be a key regional industrial event highlighting the latest information and technologies in rail and tunnelling systems, and will serve as a strategic networking platform for industry experts around the globe.
By Satish Kanady
© The Peninsula 2010
