GCC railway network to begin operations in December 2030

A 1,768-km rail network linking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Oman is set to begin operations in December 2030, according to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

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

Passenger trains 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.

An agreement was signed between representatives of the GCC states at Bahrain's Riffa Al Zahir Palace on Sunday.  

"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 Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, 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.

في خطوة تاريخية نحو تعزيز التكامل الخليجي المشترك، تدشّن دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية مرحلة جديدة من التعاون الاستراتيجي بتوقيع الاتفاقية العامة لربط دول المجلس بمشروع سكة الحديد الخليجية، بما يعزز الترابط ويواكب تطلعات المستقبل.@GCC_Railways #مجلس_التعاون… pic.twitter.com/5yN5XozqBt

— مجلس التعاون (@GCCSG) November 8, 2026