The six Gulf states have $106.2bn worth of railway projects under construction as they tackle poor public transports networks and growing populations, a report said Sunday.
Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, the wealthiest economy in the Gulf, leads the field with 23 rail projects worth an estimated $25.6bn, data from market research firm Ventures Middle East said.
The kingdom holds a 24 percent share of the region’s railway developments, its largest being the $6bn Makkah-Madina track set to link Saudi’s holiest cities.
Qatar, which is gearing up to spend $100bn on overhauling its infrastructure ahead of the 2020 World Cup, has a 23 percent share of the Gulf’s rail market thanks to its $25bn Qatar National Rail Scheme.
The gas-rich emirate’s integrated rail system will link into the GCC Railway network, a $30bn planned track that will connect all six Gulf emirates by 2017.
Qatar’s portion alone is expected to create 7,000 jobs, the chairman of Qatar Railways Company Ghanem bin Saad Al Saad said last week.
In the UAE, eight railway projects are underway with a combined value of $20.6bn. The largest of these – the $11bn, 2,500km Emirates Railway Project – will also connect the country to neighbouring Oman and Saudi Arabia on completion in 2017.
Other key rail projects include Kuwait’s $17bn national rail, road and metro system, Oman’s National Freight and Passenger Railway, valued at $10bn, and Bahrain’s Rapid Transport Network at an estimated $8bn.
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