German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has shown special interest in Saudi Arabia's SR10 billion railway expansion project and said he would be happy to visit the Kingdom again to help German companies win a major share in the landmark project. "I will be happy to visit the Kingdom again if there is agreement on major projects like the railway expansion, which certainly deserves another visit to get a good share for German companies in this huge project," Al-Riyadh Arabic daily quoted the chancellor as saying. Schroeder made this comment while addressing the Saudi-German Economic Conference at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The German chancellor left the Kingdom on Monday after a two-day visit, during which he held talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard and senior Saudi officials on major international issues and ways of strengthening bilateral cooperation. The railway expansion project involves construction of 950-km new tracks between Riyadh and Jeddah and another 115-km line between Dammam and Jubail as well as upgrading of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam. It also involves integration of the new lines with Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam and Riyadh Dry Port. The project, which is expected to be completed in three years, will boost Saudi industries and change the existing shipping patterns in the region. --More 1027 Local Time 0727 GMT
