Kuwait’s Partnerships Technical Bureau (PTB) is inviting firms to submit expressions of interest by 16 June for the transaction advisory of Kuwait’s railway project.

The PTB says it will start receiving expressions of interest from 15 May.

Kuwait is planning to build the railway on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis and the transaction adviser will have to assist in structuring, procuring and negotiating the transaction.

The successful adviser will also assist the PTB in planning the technical aspects of the railway, developing feasibility studies and establishing project financing.

Kuwait will then assign an independent operator that will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the railway for a fixed duration.

The railway is the latest to be built in the Gulf states and when it is finished it will form part of the wider GCC railway. The UAE and Oman are currently planning to build their own national railway networks.

Kuwait is also planning to build a metro system and has invited firms to bid on advisory services for the project. A contract is due to be awarded in June 2010 (MEED 8:3:10).

A private developer will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the metro network. It will own 40 per cent of the project company, the government will own 10 per cent and the state will sell the remaining 50 per cent to the public in an initial public offering