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The Minister of Public Works of Kuwait has signed a consultancy contract with the Turkish company Proyapi Engineering and Consulting for the first phase of the Kuwait rail project – a significant milestone in the country’s long-term infrastructure development strategy. The contract was officially signed by the Minister of Public Works, Noura Mohammed Al Mashaan, and the Chairman of Proyapi Mühendislik ve Müsavirlik, Murat Koru. The signing ceremony was held in Kuwait City and was attended by several dignitaries, including Her Excellency Tubanur Sönmez, the Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Kuwait, senior members of the Turkish Embassy, and high-ranking officials from various Kuwaiti government entities. This consultancy agreement marks a critical step forward in the advancement of Kuwait’s national railway ambitions. The project is part of the broader strategic objective to enhance the country’s transport infrastructure, reduce congestion on road networks, and foster economic integration with neighbouring Gulf states. The first phase of the Kuwait rail project includes the design and development of a 111-kilometre railway line. This line will connect the planned central station in Shadadiya – located approximately 25 kilometres south-west of Kuwait City centre – to the Nuwaiseeb border district, which lies 104 kilometres south of the capital. Notably, this corridor will be constructed along the Kuwaiti coastline, providing scenic value as well as logistical advantages for freight movement and passenger services. According to official projections, the new railway line is expected to support both passenger and freight transport, with the capacity to handle approximately 7 million tonnes of freight and over 3 million passengers annually once fully operational. It is designed to facilitate travel speeds of up to 200 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for freight services. The Kuwait rail project as a whole is envisioned as a 2,117-kilometre-long integrated railway network, which will ultimately connect key urban and industrial centres across the country and interface with the planned Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) railway network. The GCC Railway, often referred to as the “Gulf Railway”, is a regional initiative to link all six member states – Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain – through a high-speed rail corridor spanning over 2,000 km. When fully realised, Kuwait’s domestic rail network will feature multiple phases, with additional lines extending towards the ports of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba, the Kuwait International Airport, and major logistics hubs. The project is also expected to contribute to the diversification of the economy under the framework of Kuwait Vision 2035, the country’s long-term development plan aimed at transforming Kuwait into a regional financial and cultural centre. Proyapi Engineering and Consulting, a leading Turkish engineering and consultancy firm with an established record in international infrastructure projects, will be responsible for the provision of comprehensive design and consultancy services during this first phase. The scope of work includes technical design, feasibility analysis, environmental assessments, and alignment planning in accordance with international safety and sustainability standards. “We aim to contribute to the strengthening of Kuwait’s transport infrastructure through the engineering and consultancy services we will provide in this project. At the same time, this project, which reinforces the technical cooperation between Türkiye and Kuwait, adds another achievement to our successful international portfolio,” the company said in an official statement. The collaboration between Kuwait and Türkiye on this strategic venture reflects growing bilateral relations and highlights the importance of international partnerships in delivering large-scale infrastructure projects across the region. It also underlines Kuwait’s commitment to adopting global best practices in mobility, sustainability, and economic development. |
