UAE and Saudi Train connection by the end of December 2021

The United Arab Emirates will have a rail link with Saudi Arabia by the end of December 2021, said Abdullah Salem al-Kathiri, director general of the Federal Authority for Land and Marine Transport in Dubai on Monday.

His statement was made on the side-lines of the inauguration of Middle East Rail conference and exhibition, under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs. The two-day exhibition takes place in Dubai World Trade Centre.

Earlier studies, published in 2015, revealed that more than $200 billion will be invested to build a railway in the Gulf region, with length exceeding 40,000 kilometres. These huge investments would represent a platform to attract companies, manufacturers, resources and human capital towards the region.

The Emirati statements followed an intensive discussions’ session in Dubai, consisting of a delegation of representatives from the Saudi transport system and the Emirati counterparts. 

The session tackled development of cooperation and coordination mechanisms in the logistic and infrastructure sectors. The Saudi delegation was chaired by deputy minister of transportation Saad al-Khalb and it consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Transportation, Saudi Ports Authority, General Authority of Civil Aviation and the Public Transport Authority.

Khalb affirmed, in the beginning, that these meetings are significant as they have the support of both countries’ leaderships and guidelines to reinforce cooperation on all levels. He underpinned importance of continuity of the specialized technical committees works to resume discussions and conclude them in a way that fosters cooperation in logistics and infrastructure.

UAE General Civil Aviation Authority officials held a presentation about change programs occurring in the sector in UAE – Federal Transport Authority Land & Maritime officials showcased procedures taken by UAE so that federal maritime regulations comply with international agreements.