JEDDAH – Saudi Arabia is expected to invest $45 billion for establishment of its mammoth 7,000 km railway network which will include major projects such as the Saudi landbridge, Haramain High Speed Rail and the GCC Rail, said experts ahead of the 4th annual Middle East Rail Opportunities conference to be held in Riyadh on May 6-7. Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a major metamorphosis with several major rail projects being built on a 7000km network including Saudi landbridge, Haramain High Speed Rail, GCC Rail, Riyadh Light Railway and Makkah Metro, the experts said. The two-day summit aims at discussing the challenges that are being faced while in the design stage which will enable effective planning of the project in the long run. It will focus on the current status of the projects and hear about the latest technologies in railway systems from the experts. The summit will also throw light on the financing models for the railways, the latest technology that is being deployed for the railways and many such important aspects. The next decade will see a major transformation in the transport industry across the GCC region. The summit will also through light on other GCC countries Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and next generation railway technology. Successful construction of railways across the other Middle Eastern countries and first hand experience will also be shared and reviewed at the summit. The summit will also focus on existing challenges and upcoming opportunities for private sector in Middle East rail sector, perspective of steel and cement companies on freight rail network, exploring key financing strategies for better ROI on rail projects. — SG
