Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has endorsed a project to construct a second causeway linking Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain News Agency has reported.

The Saudi monarch's endorsement of the causeway was announced during his meeting with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain in Jeddah.

King Abdullah said that the new causeway between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia would be called "King Hamad Causeway".

King Hamad expressed his thanks and gratitude to King Abdullah for his generous initiative and his strong support to the consolidation of relations between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The new terrestrial link is expected to consolidate economic, social and cultural relations and cooperation between the GCC countries.

The first causeway between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was opened in November 1986.

The causeway will have a railroad, Bahrain's Minister of Communications Eng Kamal bin Ahmad said.

“The two sides have agreed on the route of the causeway which will be almost parallel to the existing King Fahad Causeway, and the technical and feasibility studies will be finalised soon,” the minister said.  “The project will link the railway networks of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia which will in turn be part of the greater GCC railway network,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bahrain's Parliament Speaker Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Dhahrani, has praised the project.

Al-Dhahrani expressed deep appreciation and gratitude of the people of Bahrain to King Abdullah for his historical initiative to name it the King Hamad Causeway.

He said that this vital project reflects the interest of the two monarchs to serve the GCC's countries and people.