The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to support railway system development by providing regulatory provisions for the construction and operation of GCC’s network. “The 28-member EU has really good experience in managing cross-border railway connectivity, which we will share with GCC besides our technical knowhow,” said Violeta Bulc, European Transport Commissioner, in an interview with Arab News, without giving a date of endorsing the MoU.
Once endorsed, the proposed MoU between the two parties will be an important step to cater transport needs of the GCC.
During a meeting between the Commissioner and GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani it was discussed about the possibilities of cooperation in different areas with special reference to the potentials in the railway sector. “The EU would like to support GCC with its experiences, especially in terms of standards and regulatory framework in the railway sector. We can also share technical solutions to the problems,” Bulc said.
A similar MoU will be separately signed with Saudi Arabia, in order to boost railway sector development, Bulc said reffering to a meeting with Saudi Transport Minister, Sulaiman Al-Hamdan. “The proposed MoU will help Saudi side to acquire standards, regulatory framework and also create better environment for businesses to engage in the deployment of addition railway tracks in the Kingdom,” she said.
The GCC countries will construct a 2177 km of railway network linking Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia. The total value of the entire project is USD 250 billion and it is expected to be completed in 2021.
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