Qatar ‘will be an island’ if Saudi implements plans to regenerate east coast

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• Project to develop to a maritime channel could separate Qatar from Saudi Saudi from Qatar
• The Saudi Arabian plan could create 60 km of waterways between Saudi Arabia and Qatar

London: Sabq has been given access to an integrated plan for a tourism project that will launch a maritime channel along the Saudi-Qatar border, which is being implemented by a Saudi Arabian investment consortium of 9 companies.
The project is awaiting official approval and licensing to begin implementation which is expected to be completed in only 12 months.
The plan is based on the creation of a maritime channel starting from Salwa to Khawr Al-Udayd that will extend across Saudi Arabia’s entire east coast without interruption.
Considering the border with Qatar extends over 60 kilometers and is the only landmass that interrupts trade on Saudi’s eastern coast, this will clear the way for plans to develop tourism in the area as it is a vital connector between all Gulf countries.
The area was chosen due to its importance, in addition to its untouched sandy nature which is free from obstacles that hinder the implementation of the plan.
The area is free of mountains and other geographic obstacles to digging, and the channel will not cross residential areas such as villages and agricultural areas. The channel will also regenerate economic activity in the area.
This area is distinguished by other scheduled projects related to the oil and industrial sectors, which qualifies it to be an economic center.
The maritime channel connecting Salwa and Khawr Al-Udayd will be 200 meters wide, 15-20 meters deep, and 60 km in length. It will able to receive all types of cargo and passenger vessels that are less than 295 meters long, under 33 meters wide and less than 12 meters deep. The initial cost of the project will be approximately SR 2.8 billion.