Countries like Kuwait-Qatar are rich, but there are no long distance trains. The reason is the small size of these countries, excellent road network and people using personal vehicles. However, there is a metro for transport, now work is going on a big rail project.
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On hearing the name of Gulf countries, oil, wealth and tall buildings come to mind. But countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain do not have long distance trains. After all, why do such rich countries not have a rail network?![]()
The size of countries like Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain is very small and the population is also limited. Most people live and work near oil fields. Therefore, they do not need to travel long distances.![]()
These countries have built world-class expressways and roads with the wealth of oil. Petrol and diesel are also very cheap here, so most people prefer to travel by their luxury cars or modern buses.![]()
These countries may not have long distance trains, but there is an excellent metro network for urban transport. For example, Qatar’s ‘Doha Metro’ system is very successful and provides easy travel to the city’s residents.![]()
Other major Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), already have strong railway networks. There people use high-speed bullet trains to go from one city to another.![]()
Now work is going on rapidly on ‘GCC Railway Project’ to connect all the Gulf countries. Under this project, a 2,117 km long railway line is being laid connecting Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman. It is expected that trains will start running between these countries by 2030.
