A Qatari-Bahraini agreement to revive the land bridge project between the two countries Economy

Doha – After years of hiatus, Qatar and Bahrain recently agreed to revive the land bridge project between the two countries, in a move aimed at facilitating travel within the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and doubling the movement of trade and joint investments between the two countries.

The Qatar-Bahrain Bridge Project, which was first revealed two decades ago and was called the “Bridge of Love,” is a land link project over the Arabian Gulf with a length of about 40 kilometers, and will connect Bahrain to the northwestern coast of Qatar.

In 2008, the two countries established a foundation called the “Bahrain-Qatar Bridge Foundation,” whose membership includes officials from the governments of the two countries, working on plans to build a bridge and a railway line between the two countries.

The project aims to improve and raise the efficiency of transport operations between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in general, and double the movement of trade and joint investments between them, thus strengthening their economies and increasing their diversification.

The bridge, which is designed to be 40 meters high and allows ships to pass through the waters of the Gulf, costs $4 billion to build, according to Vinci Company, one of the largest construction contracting companies in the world that designed the “Bridge of Love” years ago.

In November 2008, the Bridge Foundation awarded a contract for project management and bridge construction management services to the American international engineering and construction company Kellogg Brown & Root.

🇶🇦🇧🇭| The Crown Prince, Prime Minister of the Kingdom #the two seas He receives at Gudaibiya Palace His Excellency @MBA_AlThani_ Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

During the interview, the Qatar-Bahrain Bridge project was discussed, and the concerned authorities in both countries were directed to complete the plans and begin implementing the project#Marsal_Qatar | #Qatar pic.twitter.com/J3D2lZOp3i

– Marsal Qatar (@Marsalqatar) November 17, 2023

Cost increase

As a result of the delay in the project, the cost of the Al-Mahabah Bridge increased by about one billion dollars due to the major amendments required to be made to the initial designs, especially with regard to the proposed railway link that will connect the six Gulf states.

The bridge is scheduled to be owned equally by the governments of the two countries, and the estimated time period for its construction ranges between 4 and 5 years.

The route of the bridge was chosen from among 10 proposed routes, starting from the north of the village of Askar on the eastern side of the island of Bahrain to Ras Usheirj on the Qatari side. It will open for Bahrain and Qatar an opportunity for economic integration through a strategic bridge that will pave the way for sustainable development that will benefit the peoples of both countries.

The construction of the bridge represents an opportunity to attract more investments from Qatar in the field of real estate and the stock market, and will provide an opportunity to develop other areas of Bahrain, especially the southeast and east of the Kingdom.

The Bahrain-Qatar Bridge Project directs the relevant authorities in the two countries to complete the plans and begin implementing the project. It will shorten the distance for those coming from the Emirates and Oman to Bahrain, Sharqiya, and Riyadh, with a length of 40 km. #bahrain #the two seas pic.twitter.com/JbHyiXQg8c

– Bahrain Portal (@b4bhcom) November 17, 2023

Start implementation

The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani, agreed during his visit last Friday to Bahrain with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to direct the relevant authorities in the two countries to complete the plans and begin implementing the land bridge project.

Qatari economic analyst Abdullah Al Khater said, in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, that the bridge scheduled to be built between Qatar and Bahrain is of great economic importance, and it is more than just a land line for the movement of people and goods, but rather it is a new artery for development between the two countries and will have a great economic return.

Al Khater adds that the short distance between the two countries will make the movement of manpower, investments, and company branches very easy, which will achieve economic prosperity for the two countries, stressing that the thriving hospitality sector, for example, in Bahrain will find in the State of Qatar fertile ground for many opportunities due to the great Qatari trend towards developing the path. Tourist.

His Excellency the Secretary-General: The unified Gulf tourist visa project is a new achievement added to other achievements #Cooperation Council Blessed, in light of the wise guidance of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the Council countries – may God protect and protect them – who paid their attention to the achievements of Gulf security cooperation.https://t.co/BXyFPAnOfh… pic.twitter.com/1qAwvSWI5S

– Cooperation Council (@GCCSG) November 8, 2023

New land route

He explained that what makes this bridge more important now is the approval of the unified Gulf visa, which means that this bridge will enable residents of the Gulf countries to move freely, in addition to the fact that it will add to Qatar a new land route that allows the passage of foodstuffs, which is an addition to supply and supplies between the two countries.

He pointed out that this project is not only a link between Qatar and Bahrain, but there is a King Fahd Causeway that connects Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which gives the new project additional importance by also providing access to the eastern region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

According to studies on the bridge, it needs an amount of rocks amounting to 5,630 million cubic meters, 1,250 million cubic meters of sand, 691,000 meters of soil-repellent fabrics, 650,000 cubic meters of concrete, and 118,000 tons of reinforcing bars. 1418 million square meters of asphalt.

The Undersecretary of the Bahraini Ministry of Transportation for Land Transport and Post, Sami Bu Hazza, said, “It is important for the Bahrain-Qatar Causeway Foundation to continue its activity, and to continue working on developing designs and executive plans for this important project,” according to what was reported by the Bahrain News Agency.

He pointed out that the Bahrain-Qatar Bridge project “has a major positive impact in strengthening the strong and historical ties between citizens of the two countries,” stressing the importance of “working for everything that would achieve the aspirations of the citizens of the two countries, in rapprochement and facilitating travel between the two countries.”