Minister of Public Works Amani Boqmaz announced that a feasibility study for the rapid railway link project between Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is underway. The project is estimated to cost $10.0 million, of which Kuwait has committed 50% of the contract value, reported Al- Qabas Daily.
The Minister clarified that the feasible path for the project has not been determined yet, and the study will assess the economic, technical, and financial viability of the project.
Moreover, one of the objectives of the project is to identify the most suitable path for this connection with benefits for both countries. The announcement was made in response to questions by several MPs.
The Minister confirmed that in March 2023, a Ministry meeting was held in the presence of heads of diplomatic missions and ambassadors to provide embassies with data related to the road network in Kuwait. This was done to nominate qualified companies by their respective countries.
In response to another question, the Minister stated that 36 companies were nominated by their countries’ embassies through diplomatic channels. The Ministry has not contracted with any company to maintain roads through direct contracts yet. Instead, 10 practices have been proposed, and the tendering procedures for these practices have been completed.
As of now, no contracts have been finalized with any of the nominated companies. The Kuwait-Saudi rapid railway link project is a significant development that is anticipated to boost economic cooperation between both countries. The expected benefits of the project include the enhancement of trade, tourism, and logistics capabilities while also improving transportation links between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.