MUSCAT: The head of Kuwait's delegation to the Gulf Transport Ministers Meeting Ahmed Al-Saleh said on Thursday that the meeting agreed to consider December 2030 as the target date for the implementation and operation of the railway project among the members of the Gulf Cooperation. This came in a statement made by Saleh to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after participating in the 25th meeting of the Committee of Ministers of Transport and Communications of the GCC in Muscat, representing Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy and Acting Minister of Public Works Jassim Al-Ostad.

Saleh added that the meeting adopted several recommendations for the Gulf project, the most important of which is determining the target date for the completion of the railway project, following up on the progress of work by the General Secretariat, continuing to provide the Gulf Railways Authority with updated data for the works periodically and securing the financial, technical and operational resources necessary for the project.

Saleh described the meeting as "fruitful", as it witnessed a clear desire from all representatives of GCC countries to complete the project at the agreed times in implementation of the vision of the leaders of the Gulf.

Additionally, the meeting approved the budget for the Gulf Railways Authority for the year 2024 and endorsed administrative, financial and accounting regulations along with procurement and storage regulations. Several recommendations emerged, including the adoption of a unified regulatory framework for conducting indicative tests of ballast water on ships in GCC ports and waters.

Saleh urged GCC states to leverage the regulatory framework in their applications, emphasizing the importance of General Secretariat registration in the International Maritime Organization. The meeting also addressed the land transport strategy of GCC states and the executive regulations of the unified law for international road transport among GCC states. – KUNA