In a significant development, the Kuwait government has won approval from its municipal council for the construction of the railway line linking the ambitious Gulf network, said a report.

The joint project is to develop a railway network linking link Iraq with Kuwait in the north and Oman in the south to the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Following the approval, the Ministry of Communications can now begin to co-ordinate its plans with other government ministries and agencies to finalise an alignment for the route, according to the Kuwait News Agency.

The ministry is currently prequalifying consultants for design work on the project and construction is expected to begin next year.

The construction of the rail network linking the six GCC states is estimated to cost $15.5 billion, it added.