MANAMA, Bahrain — The General Agreement to Connect the Countries of the Cooperation Council for Arab States of the Gulf Through the Railway Project was signed in Manama on Sunday, November 8, the Oman News Agency reported. The signing took place on the sidelines of the GCC transport ministers' meeting in the Bahraini capital, attended by Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, and the GCC ministers of transport and communications, at a ceremony held at Al-Riffa Palace, ONA said.
Source: Oman News Agency (ONA) via Fana News, Nov 8 2026 — General Agreement for GCC Railway Project Signed
Qatar's signing was reported separately by the Qatar News Agency, which said the State of Qatar signed the agreement in Manama on Sunday on the sidelines of the meeting of GCC transport ministers, attended by Qatar's Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al-Thani, and the GCC Secretary-General. The two state agencies' reports are the two independent confirmations of Sunday's signing.
What the agreement actually sets
The agreement establishes a framework for coordination between the member states and the GCC Railways Authority, with the aim of overcoming obstacles and ensuring the technical and operational integration of the Gulf railway network, QNA reported. It defines the responsibilities of each country within the project, includes a timeline for execution and operation, and standardises technical and operational criteria, safety requirements and interoperability, so that national networks — including Saudi Arabia's and the UAE's Etihad Rail — connect as one system rather than six separate ones.
Source: QNA via Fana News, Nov 8 2026
Albudaiwi said the signing represents an important step towards building an integrated Gulf transport system that enhances the movement of citizens and residents, facilitates the transport of goods and raises the efficiency of intra-regional trade, supporting the competitiveness of the GCC economies and the region's position in regional and international trade, in remarks reported by Saudi media. The GCC Railways Authority, which will coordinate the work, was set up by a decision of the GCC Supreme Council in December 2021.
Source: Maaal / Saudi Gulf Projects, Nov 8 2026 — GCC states sign general agreement in Manama
Why it matters beyond the Gulf
The network is designed to run from Kuwait in the north down to Oman in the south, creating a shared corridor for passenger travel and freight across all six member states, The National reported. For the lakhs of Punjabi and Indian workers who live and work across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, a working cross-border railway would change how people and goods move between Gulf cities that today are linked mainly by road and air — and the construction and operation of a 2,100-kilometre network is itself a long-running source of jobs in the region.
Source: The National (UAE), reported Nov 8 2026 — Gulf states sign deal for 2,100 km rail network
What happens next: the agreement is a framework, not a finished railway — each state must now build and finance its national section to the common timeline and standards the document sets. The December 2030 full-operation target is the date against which progress will be judged, and the GCC Railways Authority's coordination role, defined in Sunday's agreement, is the mechanism meant to stop national sections from drifting out of alignment with each other.