Saudi Arabia to seek bids for 1,600 km railway from Red Sea to Persian Gulf

Riyadh

SAUDI Arabia plans to seek bidders for the construction of a 1,600 kilometre railroad linking the Red Sea with the Persian Gulf as early as the end of this year, signalling the go ahead for a long-delayed project seen as vital to reducing the economy's dependence on oil.

The so-called Land Bridge line will shave around three days off the current five-day journey time for shipping seaborne freight around the Saudi coast, while improving links to Riyadh and Jeddah, the country's two biggest cities.