Bahrain expects a landmark agreement connecting all six Gulf countries through a railway network to be signed at a meeting of Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) transport ministers in Manama on November 8, the kingdom's Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications has told The National.
In an exclusive interview, Sheikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said the agreement, which he described as the most important to be reached at GCC level for the railway project, was the result of intensive co-ordination between member states and their ministries and authorities.
"We have the GCC meeting of transport ministers in Bahrain on November 8 and there is a general agreement to connect GCC countries through a railway network. We hope that this agreement will be signed in Bahrain," he said in Manama.
The minister explained that the regional crises had reinforced the importance of accelerating the project's completion, adding that Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were working towards establishing a railway connection between the two countries.
The GCC railway project, first proposed more than a decade ago, is intended to establish an integrated rail network linking the six member states, from Kuwait in the north to Oman in the south. The network, which is to be about 2,100km, is designed to carry passengers and freight, with the aim of strengthening regional trade, enabling the movement of goods and improving connectivity between Gulf markets.
The UAE has already launched its national railway network, while Oman is developing its cross-border connection with the UAE through the 238km Hafeet Rail project, which links the port city of Sohar with Abu Dhabi through Al Buraimi and Al Ain. The project is expected to begin trial operations in 2027.
For Bahrain, integration into the regional network will depend on its planned connection to Saudi Arabia through the proposed King Hamad Causeway, a new fixed link between the countries designed to accommodate road and railway traffic. The railway connection would provide Bahrain with access to the wider Gulf network and strengthen its links to regional freight and passenger corridors.
Sheikh Abdulla said the GCC Railways Authority, which has its headquarters in Riyadh, was working with member states to unify technical specifications, provide the necessary technical support and ensure the project remained on its planned course.
The network is targeted for completion by 2030.
Economic lifeline
The Iran war and the disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have further highlighted the project's importance, as Gulf countries seek to strengthen alternative transport routes and protect regional supply chains from future disruptions.
Sheikh Abdulla said Bahrain had relied more heavily on road transport and alternative ports in neighbouring Gulf countries after shipping became constrained during the war as a result of Iranian attacks.
All six Gulf states came under repeated Iranian missile and drone attacks after the war erupted in late February, when the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran. Tehran retaliated by attacking countries hosting US military assets, as well as energy infrastructure and other strategic sites across the region.
Iran also imposed a de facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global energy shipments, and attacked ships using routes it describes as unauthorised.
"Transport is the lifeline of any economy in any country in the world. Whether we are talking about logistical connectivity in general, or land, air or maritime transport, it is fundamental," he said.
"Given the difficulty of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which resulted in the reduction of ship calls at Khalifa bin Salman Port, we relied more heavily on road transport and alternative ports, particularly Jeddah Islamic Port in Saudi Arabia, Sohar and Duqm ports in Oman, and Fujairah Port in the UAE, followed by road transport to Bahrain."
The minister noted that Bahrain had held two extraordinary meetings with GCC transport ministers to align the regional response at the highest level, with discussions also involving port authorities, customs officials and land transport agencies.
“Although Bahrain has only one airport, one seaport and one land border crossing, its integration with neighbouring Gulf countries had helped it maintain trade flows. From the outset, what we worked on was Gulf integration,” he said.
He added that co-operation with Saudi Arabia had also helped enable the movement of freight by road, including arrangements allowing empty lorries to enter and procedures enabling Bahraini and other Gulf companies to import and export goods through alternative ports.
