GCC railway network to begin operations in 2030, 56% of project completed

A railway network connecting Gulf countries is set to begin operations in December 2030, with 56 per cent of the project completed, according to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

In an announcement posted on X, the GCC shared that 55.92 per cent of the project was completed, with 94.45 per cent of the track route reserved for the project's operations. 

The 1,768-km route will begin in Kuwait, passing through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE, before ending the route at Oman, according to the GCC Railways Authority. 

Passenger trains across will travel at 200 km/hr, while freight trains are expected to travel between 80 and 120 km/hr, according to the GCC Railways Authority. 

The project aims to facilitate transport movement across the Gulf countries.

A general agreement signing took place at Bahrain's Riffa Al Zahir Palace on Sunday to solidify the agreement. 

It included the participation of Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the GCC Ministers of Transport and Communications.

"The General Agreement for the GCC Railway Project represents a significant step in bolstering Gulf integration in the transport sector and regulating the railway transport system within the GCC states," said Albudaiwi during the ceremony. 

The Secretary General further praised the efforts of the railway authorities in the GCC countries for carrying out this strategic project. 

In 2024, Albudaiwi shared the project aims to transport six million passengers at the start of operations, with that number expected to rise to eight million by 2045.

He added that the anticipated volume of goods to be transported upon the project's launch is 201 million tonnes of commercial goods, increasing to 271 million tonnes by 2045.

🚆 محطة تاريخية في مسيرة التكامل الخليجي

تمثل الاتفاقية العامة خطوة استراتيجية نحو تعزيز التكامل الخليجي وإرساء الأطر المشتركة لتنفيذ المشروع ودعم جهود الهيئة الخليجية للسكك الحديدية في تحقيق الترابط والتكامل بين الشبكات الوطنية، وصولاً إلى تشغيل شبكة خليجية متكاملة بحلول 2030م. pic.twitter.com/lo5IWUpTli

— الهيئة الخليجية للسكك الحديدية (@GCC_Railways) November 8, 2026