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Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a design management and review consultant to oversee engineering works on the GCC railway network, the latest step in advancing the long-delayed regional rail link.

The RFP was issued on 9 September, with a submission deadline of 18 October.

The tender seeks a consultant to manage, audit and verify deliverables produced by SAR's separately appointed design services consultant, rather than carry out the design itself. The tendering for the design services consultancy is currently in progress.

Construction will be tendered separately through competitive bidding once designs are approved.

The GCC railway will run for about 672 kilometres (km) inside Saudi Arabia, linking the kingdom's existing network to Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Bahrain, with four sections of about 141km, 200km, 151km and 21km, respectively.

The line is planned as a single-track, non-electrified corridor for mixed freight and passenger traffic, with a maximum axle load of 32.4 tonnes and passing loops for bidirectional working.

The appointed consultant will develop a design management and review plan covering governance, interdisciplinary coordination and stage-gate approvals, and will issue formal review and audit reports against SAR's requirements and international standards.

The scope also covers stakeholder engagement, interface management and oversight of land acquisition activity tied to the design consultant's land acquisition plan.

Key design stages are expected to take about 16 months: four months for concept design, six for preliminary design and six for issued-for-construction design, each with four weeks of contingency.

SAR has asked bidders to mobilise a core team from day one. These must include a project director, engineering and design manager, stakeholder manager and lead document controller, all based at SAR's offices, with minimum experience thresholds ranging from three years for junior operators up to 25 years, including 15 in rail, for the project director role.

GCC railway line

Under the overall plan, the railway will run from Kuwait, pass through Dammam in Saudi Arabia, reach Bahrain via a planned causeway, and continue from Dammam to Qatar, the UAE and, ultimately, Muscat via Sohar in Oman. The railway is reported to cover about 2,186km in total.

The route length within each member state is as follows:

• UAE – 684km
• Saudi Arabia – 672km
• Oman – 306km
• Qatar – 283km
• Kuwait – 145km
• Bahrain – 36km

The railway is designed for passenger trains travelling at 220 kilometres an hour (km/h) and freight trains operating at 80km/h–120km/h.

With high levels of project activity, governments in spending mode and renewed cooperation under the Al-Ula Declaration, the latest efforts to restart the GCC railway project may make more progress than previous attempts. If completed, the railway could prove transformational for a region that is globally connected but still divided by national borders.

READ THE SEPTEMBER 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes: