In May 2026, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait almost simultaneously launched two major cross-border railway projects - the land bridge railway design contract was awarded to Spanish company Sener, and the GCC railway Saudi section design tender was officially released. On May 18th, Kuwait approved an 85 kilometer railway connecting Riyadh. The long dormant Gulf railway network pressed the fast forward button overnight.

The shadow of the Gulf War is forcing railways to speed up

The Saudi Arabia Land Bridge Railway has a total length of 1500 kilometers, starting from Jeddah in the Red Sea in the west and ending at Dammam and Jubail in the Persian Gulf in the east. The estimated annual freight volume is over 50 million tons, making it the largest transportation infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia to date. The GCC railway has a total length of 2186 kilometers, spanning six countries, with the Saudi section extending 672 kilometers from Khafji to Barcelona. Two projects were initiated more than ten years ago, but have remained on paper for a long time. SAR only signed a project management contract with Hill International, Italferr, and Sener consortium in 2023, and issued a design invitation in April 2025, but progress has been slow.

The turning point occurred in early 2026. In just a few months, two major projects entered the bidding and design stages simultaneously, with a much faster pace than before. The catalyst behind it is not difficult to guess - the sharp deterioration of the security situation in the Persian Gulf. Once the Strait of Hormuz falls into conflict, about 20% of global oil trade will face paralysis. For Saudi Arabia, excessive reliance on the Persian Gulf route is not only an economic issue, but also a national security issue. The railway is the strategic backup that bypasses the strait.

Bypass Hormuz and rebuild the land artery

The strategic intention of the land bridge railway is clear: to directly connect the two major ports of the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf by railway, without the need for goods to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The designed annual transportation capacity of 50 million tons is sufficient to divert a considerable proportion of petrochemical products and finished goods trade. The GCC railway goes further by building a regional railway network covering six countries - from Kuwait to Muscat, Oman via Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, with a total length of over 2100 kilometers including 145 kilometers in Kuwait, 36 kilometers in Bahrain, 283 kilometers in Qatar, 684 kilometers in the United Arab Emirates, and 306 kilometers in Oman.

This means that Gulf countries are transitioning from isolated islands at sea to land connectivity. When sea lanes are no longer reliable, land-based arteries become essential.

Kuwait enters the market

The most significant event occurred on May 18th - Kuwait, which had long been hesitant about railway construction, officially approved the construction of an 85 kilometer railway connecting Kuwait City and Riyadh. Although this route is short, it connects the northwest key node of the GCC railway network. Kuwait's accession marks the evolution of the Gulf Railway from a Saudi solo performance to a six nation ensemble. Keywords: Middle East Railway, Transportation

Looking back at history, the GCC railway was approved by member states in 2009, when Saudi Arabia was the only country among the six to have a railway. Seventeen years have passed, and Kuwait has finally taken a crucial step forward. The railway will not be built overnight, but the direction is clear: in the storms of the Persian Gulf, Gulf countries are paving a new road to safety with steel rails.Editor/Cheng Liting