The GCC railway project has continued to make progress in 2023. After an official announcement by the GCC secretariat in January 2021 that effectively restarted the project, a string of recent moves and statements have meant all six members of the bloc have either declared or signalled their plans for their sections of the rail network. In early July, officials from Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications met with a delegation from the GCC Rail Authority led by Nasser Hamad al-Qahtani and Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Samaani. The two sides discussed the railway connecting Saudi Arabia and Bahrain across the proposed King Hamad Causeway and reviewed the progress of the new crossing. The meeting also included the exchange of information regarding engineering designs and contact points between the two countries. The railway crossing the King Hamad Causeway will extend inland by another 21 kilometres into Saudi Arabia and 24km into Bahrain. It is understood the railway route extending inland into Bahrain will eventually link up with the planned GCC railway network. In November 2019, the Netherlands' KPMG, US-based Aecom and Germany-headquartered CMS were appointed as advisers for the project. Rail authority GCC leaders approved the establishment of the GCC Rail Authority in January 2022. The company was entrusted with the overall policymaking and coordination among member states to ensure smooth delivery and operations of the overall scheme. With high project activity levels, governments in spending mode, and the agreements under the Al-Ula declaration, the latest efforts to restart the GCC railway project may make more progress than previous attempts. If the railway is finally completed, it could prove transformative for a region that feels connected to the world but divided between its constituent parts. (ICE RIYADH)

Fonte notizia: Meed