• There is a price difference exceeding 290% between the lowest and highest bids for the GCC Railway network project (Phase I), with two Turkish companies among the competitors.
The Central Agency for Public Tenders has completed the opening of the private practice envelopes for the study, detailed design, and preparation of railway tender documents (Phase I) as part of the broader GCC Railway network project, Al-Qabas newspaper reported.
Responsible sources revealed that the lowest bid was submitted by the Turkish company Proyapi, which proposed KD 2.47 million to complete the study and design of the first phase of the project. It was followed by the Chinese company China Railway, which submitted a bid of KD 6.77 million, and the Spanish company Sener, which bid KD 8.82 million.
The Turkish company Systra submitted the highest bid for the completion of the first phase study of the railway project, with an evaluation of KD 9.73 million.
A document seen by the newspaper showed that there is a price difference exceeding 290% between the lowest and highest bids, with two Turkish companies among the competitors.
Selecting best bidder for railway project’s first phase
Informed sources told Al-Qabas newspaper that after reviewing the price statements from the competing companies, the next step lies with the Public Authority for Roads & Transportation to select the most suitable company based on technical capabilities and the ability to meet the authority’s specifications and conditions. The value of the winning bid will then be considered for implementing the study, detailed design, and preparation of railway tender documents for the first phase.
Audit Bureau’s nod
The sources expect that the authority will differentiate between the submitted offers and select the winning company. However, the authority’s decision will not be final, as it is subject to the scrutiny and approval of the Audit Bureau, which holds the final authority in choosing the winning company for the project. It is likely that all approvals, including those from the Court of Accounts, will be completed before the end of this year.
The sources also indicated that the duration for implementing the consultative study is twelve months, after which the tender for the project’s implementation will be launched, with a timeline of thirty months. According to the tender system, the proposed schedule for completing the Kuwait portion of the Gulf Railway network project is by the end of 2030.
Global competition
Nine international companies competed for the project, with five companies excluded, leaving four contenders: two from Turkey, one from China, and one from Spain.
GCC Railway network project
It is noteworthy that the Gulf railway tracks will begin in the State of Kuwait, passing through Dammam in Saudi Arabia, and continue to Bahrain. From there, the tracks will extend to the State of Qatar via the Salwa port, connecting Doha to Bahrain. The railway will then link Saudi Arabia to the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain) and, finally, to the Sultanate of Oman (Muscat) via the state of Sohar.
