Gulf leaders gathered in Riyadh this week for their first in-person meeting since the outbreak of the US–Israel war with Iran. Alongside security concerns, they also discussed expediting longstanding joint projects.Under the umbrella of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), these initiatives span transport, energy, water security and defence. They aim to deepen economic ties and strengthen collective resilience.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThomas Bonnie James, a Gulf studies expert at AFG College with the University of Aberdeen, said the significance of this moment lies in how these projects are being redefined. He said the Iranian strikes on key GCC infrastructure have “converted these projects from economic aspirations into security necessities”, a shift that fundamentally alters the political calculus and injects urgency into their implementation.Here is an overview of the most prominent joint Gulf projects.A unified Gulf railway networkFirst approved in December 2009, the GCC railway project is one of the region’s most ambitious infrastructure plans.The goal is to connect all six member states through a 2,117km (1,315-mile) rail network running from Kuwait City to Muscat, passing through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.Designed for both passengers and freight, trains are expected to reach speeds of up to 200km/h (124mph). The railway would significantly reduce transport times, facilitate trade and improve mobility for citizens and residents. Yet progress has been uneven, with deadlines slipping from 2018 to around 2030. Advertisement The challenge, as James’s analysis implies, has never been purely technical. Rather, it lies in the difficulty of aligning “six sovereignties” around customs rules, technical standards and border controls — an issue of governance more than con …
