GCC to build railway system to promote internal trade: paper

A railway system linking the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar and Bahrain could be in place within three years, the UAE daily Gulf News reported Wednesday.

According to an official at the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC), which includes Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a European firm has come up with a plan for the proposed railway project.

The General Secretariat of GCC has requested the Islamic Bank for Development to undertake a feasibility study for the building of a railway system to transport passengers and goods among GCC countries with the aim of promoting better trade relations among member countries, the daily quoted the official as saying.

His comments followed news of the Saudi Railway General Establishment's participation in the railway exhibition and conference on general transport systems in the Middle East due to open in Dubai on October 10,2004.

The Establishment has completed studies for expanding Saudi railway network. There will be four railway systems which will be about 3,000 kilometers long.

It has signed an agreement with a foreign consortium, Saudi banks and the French Railways for the provision of technical and financial consultation for the railway network expansion in the Kingdom.

Source: Xinhua