19/01/2025
19/01/2025
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 19: A government report revealed that the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) has included a tender for a consulting agreement for the establishment phase of the Kuwait Railway Company. This will be followed by the creation of a company responsible for the operation and maintenance of the project, which is part of the implementation phases of the GCC railway project. The report explained that the method and type of partnership with the private sector will be studied for the establishment of this company. The project offers major investment opportunities for the private sector and supports two of the important objectives of the nine-year development plan, which are: 1. Enhancing a dynamic private sector and transforming Kuwait into an attractive investment hub led by private sector involvement. 2. Promoting general privatization, which will contribute to public finance reforms, diversify income sources, improve service quality, provide job opportunities in the private sector, and boost efficiency and innovation.
The report outlined seven investment opportunities in the project, which will be offered through tenders in stages, as follows:
1. Consulting tender for project design, which has been issued, and the award procedures are being finalized. Work is expected to begin soon, at a cost of KD 2.426 million and an implementation period of 12 months.
2. Consulting tender for design and implementation stages, which covers project management and control.
3. Project implementation tender, more than one of which may be issued depending on the outcomes and recommendations of the consulting tender and the Board of Directors’ decisions.
4. Consulting tender for project supervision for overseeing the project’s implementation.
5. Consulting tender for establishing the Kuwait Railway Company.
6. A tender for the actual establishment of the Kuwait Railway Company.
7. A tender for investing in the passenger station, which will be built in Shadadiya.
The Municipal Council has already approved its allocation. The report explained that the project aims to enhance trade and economic exchange between GCC countries in the field of land transport for passengers and goods. It seeks to develop both the local and regional economies, open new investment opportunities, and strengthen social ties among the GCC nations.
The project will also reduce the cost of transporting goods and passengers, as well as lower road maintenance costs by minimizing the number of vehicles used for passenger and freight transport. It will contribute to reducing carbon emissions by decreasing the number of trucks transporting goods. Other benefits include a reduction in traffic accidents, as fewer passenger and freight vehicles will be on the roads, and the opening of labor markets and transportation services between GCC countries. It will also support the development of areas adjacent to the railway track, create new job opportunities for citizens, and contribute to the goals of the New Kuwait 2035 vision.
By Mohammed Ghanem
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff