Six Gulf states sign GCC railway agreement as network nears 56%

Transport ministers from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have signed the general agreement for the GCC Railway, the 2,117 km line meant to link all six Gulf states. The GCC General Secretariat says the project is 55.92% complete and should be fully operational by December 2030.

The agreement was signed on 8 November at Riffa Al Zahir Palace in Bahrain, under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, on the sidelines of a meeting of the GCC ministerial committee on transport and communications, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi attended the ceremony.

The text sets a common framework for what each member state must deliver, coordinates construction and operation, and ties the six national networks together, the Secretariat said. "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," Mr Albudaiwi said, as reported by the Saudi Gazette.

From six national projects to one network

The line is planned for both passengers and freight, under common technical specifications and shared safety and sustainability standards, according to the Secretariat. Its stated aim is to connect economic and industrial centres with ports and logistics hubs, and to make trade between the six states easier.

Kuwait's section is about 111 km long, from Al-Shadadiya to Al-Nuwaiseeb on the Saudi border, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. Kuwait's public works minister, Dr Noura Al-Mashaan, called the agreement "a historic milestone in joint Gulf action". The body in charge of making the networks work together is the GCC Railway Authority, created by the GCC Supreme Council in 2021 to regulate rail transport and to unify technical, regulatory and operational standards.

That last task matters more than the ceremony. Building track is the visible part; running a train from Kuwait to Muscat without changing locomotive or crew rules at every border needs agreed standards for signalling, rolling stock approval, safety certification and customs. Giving one authority the job of setting those rules for six countries, before the cross-border sections open, is the real point of the text.

The UAE's national network, Etihad Rail, is one of the pieces the Gulf line will connect, as set out in our Etihad Rail passenger guide and our guide to UAE railway projects.

The official statements leave several points open. The 55.92% figure is not broken down by country, the full text of the agreement has not been published, and no timetable, fare or choice of signalling system has been announced for cross-border services. The next milestone is the December 2030 target for full operation.

Sources: Emirates News Agency (WAM), "Manama hosts signing ceremony for general agreement on GCC Railway Project", 8 November 2026; Saudi Gazette, "GCC railway to begin full operations by December 2030 as member states sign landmark agreement", 8 November 2026, citing the GCC General Secretariat; Kuwait Times, report of 8 November 2026 citing KUNA, accessed 14 November 2026.

Photo: a Saudi Railways Organization push-pull diesel train at Dammam station (2020) — A2zByNihon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.

Article written with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited, reviewed by the TrainsNews editorial team before publication.