The Kuwait-saudi Arabia Bullet Train: A Sign Of Strong Relations

The Kuwaiti government and the Saudi government have progressed rapidly towards launching the "bullet train" in less than five months, demonstrating the depth of the relationship, agreement, and smooth dealing between the two brotherly countries, according to Al-Qabas daily.

It has been reported that Kuwaiti authorities are racing against time to finish technical and legal approvals regarding the completion of a high-speed railway line connecting Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, paving the way for the implementation of the consultative agreement.

Informed sources believed that all approvals related to the Kuwaiti side would be completed during the current month or next at the latest, allowing the project to be evaluated from a financial, economic, and technical standpoint, followed by the remaining steps for launching the subsequent stages leading up to implementation.

Amiri decrees were issued in June 2023 approving the agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the railway link. On September 26, the Saudi Council of Ministers also approved the railway link project agreement between Kuwait and the Kingdom, according to what was reported by the Saudi Press Agency.

Al-Qabas learned that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Public Works and the Saudi Railway Company (SAR), agreed to appoint the French company SYSTRA — one of the world's leading engineering and consulting groups specializing in public transportation. For more than 65 years, the Group has worked alongside cities and regions to contribute to their development by creating, improving, and modernizing their transport infrastructures — to implement the feasibility study.

Based on informed sources, the Ministry of Public Works completed the contracting documents, and addressed the Audit Bureau therein in order to get their approval to appoint the consulting firm SYSTRA, as well as the amount contracted with it, so that the Ministry could sign consulting contracts for the financial and economic feasibility study.

According to the sources, the feasibility study for the link project cost $10.57 million, or approximately 3.270 million dinars, to be split equally between the two parties. Each party will pay 1.635 million dinars. SYSTRA is expected to complete the feasibility study for the railway link between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia within six months.

According to the sources, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia's railway project is a separate project from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries' railway project.

Through the Central Agency for Public Tenders, the Public Authority for Roads and Land Transport launched a special exercise two months ago in order to complete a feasibility study for the Gulf Train, and nine local and international consulting firms competed for the contract.

The sources indicated that the Roads Authority is now in the stage of sorting contracts to choose a company entrusted with conducting the feasibility study for the Gulf train project, and that the winning consulting company will be announced before the end of the year.

A Kuwaiti-Saudi agreement stipulates that the railway line between the two countries should extend from the Kuwait State train station point to the Riyadh train station point in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kuwaiti and Saudi agreement will most likely be located in the south of Kuwait.

Highlights of the project

- On May 23, 2023, the Saudi Council of Ministers authorized the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, or his representative, to discuss with the Kuwaiti side about a draft agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of Kuwait regarding the railway connection project.

- On June 4, 2023, the agreement was signed in the cities of Riyadh and Kuwait through diplomatic channels.

- On June 12, 2023, an Emiri decree was issued approving the agreement.

- On September 26, 2023, the Saudi Council of Ministers approved the railway connection project agreement.

Kuwait is expected to sign a consulting contract within two months to start the project study.

 

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