Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ministers will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month to agree on a new completion date for a regional railway network, United Arab Emirates Minister of Infrastructure Development said on Wednesday. The six GCC states initially aimed to link their countries by rail by 2018. But a series of setbacks seems to have finally taken its toll with ministers now in agreement that their self-imposed deadline is no longer achievable. Abdulla Belhaif Al Nuaimi said he asked GCC transport ministries at a meeting in Doha, Qatar last year to become “more realistic” in delivering the network. “We know that 2018 is not realistic,” he said at a press conference at the ministry in Dubai. Asked if he still believes the regional network would go ahead, he said “I have no comment on this.” Last week, Oman said it would focus on building its domestic rail network after Etihad Rail, the company building the UAE’s network, suspended plans to connect Abu Dhabi’s western region with Oman, Saudi Arabia and other parts of the UAE. (Gulf News)