Gulf train advances amid Hormuz turmoil

The Gulf Cooperation Council countries signed the general agreement for the railway connection project, in a step that strengthens the path of implementing a network extending about 2,117 kilometers, linking the six countries, with the aim of completing its operation in December 2030.

The signing in Manama comes amid navigational disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz, and the challenges it poses to trade movement and supply chains, highlighting the importance of diversifying transportation options and enhancing Gulf logistical integration.

The Bahraini Minister of Transportation and Communications, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, told Asharq Al-Awsat that each country will finance and implement the part located within its territory, indicating that there are no prior agreements with international partners to finance or implement the project, with the possibility of seeking the expertise of international companies according to the needs of each country.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassem Al-Budaiwi, announced that the completion rate in the project reached 55.9 percent.

The project aims to transport about 6 million passengers and 200 million tons of goods by 2030, with the capacity to rise to more than 8 million passengers and 271 million tons by 2045.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi renewed the government’s endeavor to raise the rate of crude oil production to 10 million barrels per day by 2030. An Iraqi government statement quoted Al-Zaidi as saying, during his visit to Anbar Governorate and his meeting with his senior aides, that this would contribute to strengthening the national economy and supporting the wheel of development in Iraq. The Iraqi Oil Minister, Bassem Muhammad Khudair, announced, on Saturday, that Iraqi crude oil production rates exceeded 5 million barrels per day, and that Iraq has a maximum sustainable production capacity that far exceeds the production ceiling currently set for it within the agreements of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Ministry of Oil is working to implement plans in cooperation with major American and foreign companies to develop oil fields and increase production capacities in the coming years. Al-Zaidi called for sending invitations to international companies specialized in phosphate and glass to invest in this important sector, maximize the benefit of national wealth, and support the economy. Gabon is seeking to revive the "Maboni" project for niobium and rare metals, which has been stalled for a long time, through a proposed development project worth two billion dollars, which includes the "New Energy Metals" company supported by the UAE, and the Chinese "Envy" engineering group. New Energy Metals and its subsidiary, Dusk Gabon, presented a technical study for the project to President Brice Cloutier Oligy Nguema during his visit to Beijing last week, according to a statement published on the presidential page on the Facebook platform. If the project is approved, it is expected to provide more than 2,500 direct job opportunities and include processing facilities in the Central African country. Construction work is scheduled to begin in 2027. It is noteworthy that the “Maboni” project, which is located about 200 kilometers southeast of Libreville; The capital of Gabon, it has been under exploration for years, but has not reached the stage of commercial production.