Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway
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The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway is a causeway in
Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...
with an estimated construction value of approximately US$3 billion Under China's
Belt and Road Initiative The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, or B&R), formerly known as One Belt One Road ( zh, link=no, 一带一路) or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 150 ...
, the causeway is part of the first phase of the Silk City project. The causeway spans the
Bay of Kuwait Jōn al Kuwayt ( ar, جون الكويت, Gulf Arabic pronunciation: /d͡ʒoːn‿ɪlkweːt/), also known as Kuwait Bay, is a bay in Kuwait. It is the head of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait City lies on a tip of the bay. History Following the post-glac ...
in two directions and comprises two projects: Main Link, which connects
Kuwait City Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, ...
with northern Kuwait (including Subiya,
Bubiyan Island Bubiyan Island ( ar, جزيرة بوبيان) is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain situated in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf, with an area of . Bubiyan Island is part of the Shatt al-Arab delta. The Mubarak A ...
, and Al Mutlaa City); and Doha Link, which connects Kuwait City with
Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...
. It crosses two
artificial islands An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those th ...
(Bay Island North and Bay Island South) which were constructed for entertainment and tourism purposes. The causeway project is part of
Kuwait Vision 2035 Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
. The causeway is named after the late Sheikh Jaber Al-Sabah to commemorate his contribution to the development of Kuwait. It was one of the largest and most challenging transport infrastructure projects in Kuwait, as well as the entire
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
region. The Main Link is the 4th longest road bridge in the world at 36.14 km. The overall causeway consists of two bridges. Both bridges have a combined length of 48.5 kilometers.


History

Under China's
Belt and Road Initiative The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, or B&R), formerly known as One Belt One Road ( zh, link=no, 一带一路) or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 150 ...
, the causeway is part of the first phase of the Silk City project. Construction began on November 3, 2013 at a cost of approximately US$3 billion, the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway belongs to a series of projects being pursued by Kuwait to develop and diversify its economy and reduce its reliance on oil and gas. This push to diversify is similar to those being pursued by
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
and other countries in the region. The project is part of
Kuwait Vision 2035 Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...
, and is named after the 13th Emir of Kuwait to commemorate his leadership. The overall aim of the project is to reduce the travel distance between
Kuwait City Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, ...
and Silk City from 104 km to 36 km, which will cut the journey time from 90 minutes at present to less than 30 minutes. Building the causeway will provide a new strategic highway route that will help planned development work located to the north of Kuwait City, as it will connect
Shuwaikh Port Shuwaikh Port ( ar, ميناء الشويخ, transliteration : ''Minaa' Shuweekh'') (Coordinates:29°21′9″N 47°55′31″E) is an urban industrial area within the Al Asimah Governorate (Capital Governorate) in Kuwait City, Kuwait. A number ...
with the Subiya New Town Development (Silk City). And it will help to integrate the northern areas of the country with the more densely populated central and southern regions, while also helping lower traffic congestion in the surrounding roads.


Design

The bridge's structural design is based on designs from the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials. The prominent feature of the Main Link is the iconic pylon for the cable-stayed bridge that is inspired by the conventional sailboat, a traditional and historic theme of Kuwait. The pylon stands at approximately 151 meters, which is about the same height as that of the prominent
Kuwait Towers The Kuwait Towers are a group of three thin towers in Kuwait City, standing on a promontory into the Persian Gulf. They were the sixth, and last, group in the larger Kuwait Water Towers system of 34 towers (33 store water; one stores equipment), ...
. Originally, the causeway project was conceived as one project (Main Link and Doha Link), but, in order to expedite the completion of the works, the project was tendered in two contracts: Main Link (36.14 km) and Doha link (12.4 km). The causeway project witnessed the participation and collaboration of major engineering, design, and contracting firms from around the world, including the US, France, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Italy, and Austria; of course in addition to the Dar offices in Beirut and Cairo. Major companies such as
Hyundai Engineering and Construction Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (HDEC; ) is a major construction company in South Korea. The company was founded by Chung Ju-yung in 1947 as the Hyundai Civil Works Company and was a major component of the Hyundai Group. Hyund ...
, G.S. Engineering & Construction,
Systra SYSTRA is a multinational engineering and consulting group in the mobility sector, whose fields of activity include rail and public transport. In 2019, it employed a staff of about 7,300 people, and is a limited company which shareholders includ ...
,
AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm. AECOM has approximately 51,000 employees, and is number 157 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list. The company's official name from 1990 t ...
, T.Y. Lin International, Tony Gee & Partners, Trevi, and
Fugro Fugro is a Dutch multinational public company headquartered in Leidschendam, Netherlands, that specializes in collecting and analysing geological data, both on land and at sea. Employing approximately 9,000 people in 65 countries, Fugro serv ...
, as well as suppliers like
Hyundai Steel Hyundai Steel Co., Ltd, or HSC (formerly known as HYU, and Crab Iron & Steel Co., Ltd.) is a steel making company headquartered in Incheon and Seoul, South Korea, and a member of the Hyundai Motor Group. It manufactures a wide variety of produc ...
,
Jenoptik Jenoptik AG is a Jena, Germany-based integrated photonics group. The company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is included in the TecDAX stock index. History The group can trace its heritage back to the original Carl Zeiss AG co ...
, Swarco, and Solari also played major parts. An essential aspect of the bridge, which was tackled at the commencement of the work, was the environmental risks involved, what with the bridge passing through existing natural habitats. From the outset of construction, there was a strong effort to minimise any interference or damage to the flora/ fauna and the sea environment as a whole, whether temporarily during construction or permanently. Green Tiger Shrimps that are famous residents of the
Kuwait Bay Jōn al Kuwayt ( ar, جون الكويت, Gulf Arabic pronunciation: /d͡ʒoːn‿ɪlkweːt/), also known as Kuwait Bay, is a bay in Kuwait. It is the head of the Persian Gulf. Kuwait City lies on a tip of the bay. History Following the post-glac ...
were protected with the establishment of new vegetation habitats where
artificial reef An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing. Many ...
s were installed away from the bridge construction zones. This effort was very successful as the involved parties were able to see the new shrimp habitats taking place away from the bridge location, and shrimps were reproduced in abundant capacities.


See also

*
Madinat al-Hareer Silk City (Arabic: مدينة الحرير ''romanized:'' Madinat al-Hareer) is a large infrastructure project in northern Kuwait which is currently under development (Phase I). The project will be built in individual phases. In May 2019, the She ...
* Al Mutlaa City *
Mubarak Al Kabeer Port Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is a port in Bubiyan Island, Kuwait. The port is currently under construction. In April 2021, the port's first phase was completed (4 berths). The port is part of the Belt and Road Initiative. Purpose Mubarak Al Kabeer Por ...
*
Kuwait National Cultural District The Kuwait National Cultural District (also known as the KNCD) is multi billion dollar development project that focuses on the arts and culture in Kuwait. With a capital cost of more than US$1 billion, the project is one of the largest cultural inve ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaber Causeway Belt and Road Initiative Transport buildings and structures in Kuwait 2019 establishments in Kuwait Bridges completed in 2019 Chinese investment abroad