Memo

Rail development to grow across GCC, with Saudi Arabia & UAE leading the charge

To:

Al-Monitor Pro Members

From:

Afshin Molavi

Senior Fellow, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

Date:

Nov. 14, 2022

Bottom Line:

The long-planned GCC rail network that aims to link Kuwait in the north to Oman in the south and traverse all six states has sprung to life again with the launch of the new GCC Railways Authority, substantial track-laying progress in the UAE, ambitious plans in Saudi Arabia and renewed focus among other states. The UAE and Saudi Arabia will likely advance further and faster than their peers by the end of this decade, and the dreams of the line connecting all states will be slowed by regional laggards. Still, the trajectory is clear: Absent a major exogenous shock, rail development will grow across the region, with some moving faster than others but all moving toward a similar destination.

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