Kuwait will tender the much-delayed USD multi-billion metro rail project in its next five-year development plan, according to the Gulf emirate’s minister of state for development and planning.
Hind Al Sabeeh said other major projects to be included in the 2014-2018 plan involve Mubarak port, the media city the privatisation of schools, university and cooperatives.
“The next development plan includes the tendering of large projects in Kuwait such as the Metro and rail projects,” she told the Saudi satellite TV new channel Al Arabiya on Sunday night. Her comments were published by Kuwaiti newspapers. [Source]
A couple of years ago the expected operational date was 2020 but I’m guessing that date will now be pushed back since they really haven’t started on anything yet. The above is a rendering of how a metro station would look like while the metro map below shows where all the metro stops will be located.
You can view a higher resolution version of the map [Here]
Finally below is a video presentation of the planned metro project.
Kuwait Rapid Transit & Rail Road Systems ENG from Designa Comunicacion on Vimeo.
40 replies on “Kuwait Metro Project is Back from the Dead”
Great news. Go Kuwait!
i call bullshit
Sigh
Hey I can take Line 1 to wor….unless I’m retired somewhere on the Mediterranean by then 🙂
*work
I don’t agree with privatization of Co-ops to be honest. The merchants control enough already.
Are they really privatizing the co-ops?
“Hind Al Sabeeh said other major projects to be included in the 2014-2018 plan involve Mubarak port, the media city the privatisation of schools, university and cooperatives.”
Only the topic is back from the dead, a good media tactic to sway the attention of people and have some new media content. We are still living the airport tender embarrassment after taking years in planning, parliament approval and we didn’t even reach the construction phase! Mind you, building an airport is mainly a construction project in a fixed location, compare that now to creating a metro system, road system and construction across multiple geographies that didn’t yet reach the tender phase. we will convene this chat hopefully in 10 – 15 years, just make sure u keep blogging 😉
Many projects are getting implemented
no transformational projects took place in Kuwait since the 80’s, only grand renovations or extensions to current ones. this is not an opinion and im not proud of saying it, just facts documented.
@bask: Again, I agree with your comment, because it is a direct honest statement. Did they hire a PR firm? Obviously internal because we understand fully externally what is going on here. It really is unfair to the public when they play these games. Hopefully Mark can blog this project when it is finally implemented. And with regards to another comment you made which was truly ‘spot on’ is that if they don’t initially hire the correct qualified foreign expertise to run these projects they will just fail, the Kuwaitis do not acquire the correct skills to implement, run a project like this one. Once they are trained to run a progrect they can assume the role. All successful airlines and airports in the region have a westerner at the helm.
Why does a place like Kuwait even need a metro? Also, if the Southernmost station is Fahaheel, what about the folks in Ahmadi, etc.? No metro for them?
Have you seen the traffic? Thats why we need a metro.
Have you seen the way people drive? It would be nice to have a metro to ease a bit of the traffic but a big part of the traffic problem is that many people have no idea about driving laws and regulations. They should revoke everyone’s license and have everyone take a driving test again. Criteria should be “do you at least know the difference between a straight solid line and a dashed line on the road?” Then again the counter-argument would be are the roads marked properly?
Are you kidding? A metro would be perfect in Kuwait. I’d park my car at the Salmiya main station, hop on line #1. Watch a couple of TV shows on my tablet or take a nap and then hop off at Liberation Tower station to walk 500 meters to my office.
U might as well walk from your home to Salmiya station – reason?: were wud U find place to park your car at Salmiya station when there is no place to park our own cars were we live.
A large chunk of the traffic is caused by government bureaucracy. People going from ministry to department to ministry, cars going to once place to another carrying paperwork. Yet, the metro map does not even consider this. No stations at the place of Justice? the Ministry complex? immigration?
On the other hand, implementing e-government will reduce traffic significantly.
Consider this: There are 1.7 million cars in Kuwait. At any working day, there will be 6800 cars going around Kuwait trying to finish the yearly car registration renewal procedure.
(1.7 million cars divided by around 250 working days).
If course, most of that could be eliminated by writing a few simple computer systems to connect the data bases of different ministries. You get a piece of paper from one ministry that just prints out something from their computer, and you drive to another ministry and hand it to them… causing congestion and filling up parking lots… But that would also put most government workers out of work…
I am trying to be more realistic than pessimistic, but I believe that public transport will not work as we might think.
The minor problem is that KPTC couldn’t handle bus transportation. If they want train transportation to work they need to increase bus routes from-to train station so passengers won’t need to drive and park in metro station which will require space. And if they want to encourage Kuwaitis to catch a train they need to provide bus routes in front of every few neighbourhood as well as the current bus fleet is old and is needed to be replaced
The major problem is how urban Kuwait is poorly designed forming “Urban Sprawl”. It makes us reliant to cars and highways which makes public transport and infrastructure expensive and inefficient. You can google Urban Sprawl for more details.
TL;DR: Kuwait Metro is a waste of money.
You are right. Personally, I will probably use the metro as a novelty, but then I would just revert to using my car. Kuwait is just too spread out to have an effective metro system.
A waste of billions.
They could get the same company that built Jaber Stadium, to build the Metro 😀
They didn’t mention about the different cabins and timings for expats and citizens xD !
+1
I love the idea of a Metro, but I honestly wonder who will ride it. Given the weather, no one is going to walk very far to a station – so are they going to drive and then park there? For many people, it’s less trouble to just drive where you’re going – or to be taken by a driver. And unless it’s very cheap, a lot of people won’t find it cost-effective.
But if anyone can get something going, Hind al-Subeeh can.
Well the weather in Dubai is worse than Kuwait and people don’t seem to have an issue taking the metro. It’s always packed.
Dubai is one long road and thats it
Nope, I used to visit relatives in Qisais while I was staying in Barsha. Its not a straight line you have to get off at Khalid Bin Walid station to get the next line.
Hi Mark
its funny that they do metro when they control bus network or taxi at lest
they are coma 🙂
sorry
I’d take a metro, if it has good air conditioning. I don’t think walking is a problem, I wonder if they add some hooks on roofs or the front for bicycles.
There could be a section inside to put bikes. I’ve seen that in other countries.
When a Kuwaiti official talks about a project my enthusiasm evaporates instantly
Thanks Mark for the Map, I have already checked my daily route, Just waiting now to board the metro.
This project is back on top again from death. Basically this project is in pipe line since from 1970 & still listing. Only listening not practically visible.
This project is back on top again from death. Basically this project is in pipe line since from 1970 & still listing. Only listening not practically visible.
Grant Thornton or Ernst & Young …. One company is working on this project since from long back.
Kuwaitis like to sell dreams.
Metro was a dream about to fly off, 4 years back, with 2 major conferences being held. But no concrete action so far.
The existing public transport systems need to be fortified before taking on the metro project. Connectivity by public transport across Kuwait is very poor. No good means of transport and shelter for passengers. No great amenities or incentives to use the public transport.
People don’t want to walk few hundred meters. Car from door-step to office-step. They will not even get down from the cars to buy a bottle of water from the roadside bakala (instead will blast the horn repeatedly, till the owner comes out).
So major cultural changes needs to go along with the metro plans for its adoption, as primary means of transport. Otherwise, it will be inefficient.
Metro is a waste of money since it will mostly be used by low earning workers considering the current mentality in Kuwait where public transport is never used by anyone unless they’re forced to .
A new bus system will be much better. We need to start developing a bus- public transport system that the middle class can trust and start learning how to use.
A metro, even a 5 star metro will turn into another kpc, with the current mentality.
I work at the Consultants Department which is part of the Consultants Selection Committee. I can guarantee for you guys that we are currently are working on the Term of References (TOR) of both Mega projects 1. Kuwait National Rail Road (KNRR) & 2. Kuwait Metro
The Ministry of Communication (MoC) is pushing for the KNRR which is there main priority. I hope that the procedures will go smoothly and we can achieve some milestone for the project by the end of this year
Dear Mr. Yousif,
Apart from getting the infrastructure in place, what is needed more is the acceptance of it among the car owners (as Ahmed has said). Without large scale adoption, it is will be viable (both financially or efficiency wise). It has offset the use of cars with only 1 person in it.
Moreover, connectivity to the most popular place used generally by the common public, such as airports, popular ministries, etc. from the most crowded places will be a major factor for its adoption. Places such as Salmiya, hawally, Farwaniya, Shuwaikh, Abbasiya, Jaleeb Shuwaikh are not connected to the airport, South Surra, Mishrief, etc.
So apart from infrastructure planning, a sustained drive is needed to promote its regular use.
Cheers.
Having a metro in kuwait is a must. We have a lot of traffic. And even though some areas doesn’t have stations it means that we have to ride buses so it’s okay. If the buses are clean and never like the red and blue buses that are in the streets today it will be fine. The metro is named KMRT. Kuwait metropolitan rapid transport.they say it will start 2017. For a line to finish they need minimum 5 years .