GCC Railway Revival Gains Momentum as Saudi Arabia Launches Key Tender

The Gulf’s long-awaited railway network has taken a major step forward after Saudi Arabia launched a consultancy tender for the design of its section of the GCC Railway Project, one of the region’s largest cross-border infrastructure initiatives, according to MEED.

The railway will eventually span approximately 2,186 kilometers, linking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman through a unified passenger and freight network. Saudi Arabia’s segment alone will extend 672 kilometers, making it the largest and most strategically important section of the system.

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has invited bids for consultancy services covering concept design, preliminary engineering, and construction-ready plans, signaling the start of a new implementation phase for the project. Bid submissions are scheduled to close at the end of June.

The railway is expected to transform regional logistics by reducing freight transport costs, improving supply chain resilience, and strengthening economic integration among GCC states. Future contracts are anticipated in civil works, signaling systems, stations, rolling stock, telecommunications, and maintenance services.

Industry observers estimate that the broader GCC railway program could generate tens of billions of dollars in procurement opportunities over the coming decade, making it one of the region’s most significant infrastructure investment programs.