High-profile delegates from the transport authorities and ministries and members of the GCC railway companies discussed key issues related to the upcoming Gulf railway network at a major summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The seventh meeting of the GCC Railway Expert Working Group was hosted by Etihad Rail, the developer and operator of the UAE's $11 billion national rail network, recently.
 
Created to foster dialogue on the railway agenda across the six member states, the GCC Railway Expert Working Group meeting addressed the ongoing technical, operational, institutional and commercial considerations that will ensure the implementation of a state-of-the-art railway network.

Participating authorities and ministries envision a railway infrastructure complete with signal systems, cross-functional industry knowledge-sharing between national operational control centres, a fully integrated approach to safety and security, certification of railway employees, as well as cost and revenue sharing agreements between railway operators and stakeholders across the GCC.

Speaking at the meeting, CEO Faris Saif Al Mazrouei said: "Etihad Rail is pleased to host this edition of the GCC Railway Expert Working Group, as we collectively review progressive technical and operational ways to outline the next steps for a shared rail network that will act as a catalyst for socioeconomic growth across the region."

Dr Abdulla Al Katheeri, the director general – Federal Transport Authority (FTA) and ER board member, echoed Etihad Rail’s commitment to close collaboration with partners and stakeholders to ensure the completion of the UAE’s national railway, and highlighted the significance of the three-day assembly, which focused on the detailed engineering, design and technical guidelines that will foster progress toward project completion.

When complete, the GCC railway network will link member states Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service