South Korea’s consortium has a competitive edge over China in the bid for the United Arab Emirates’ $13.6 billion high-speed rail project, according to Transport Minister Park Sang-woo.

The consortium—comprising Korea National Railway, Korea Railroad Corp., Hyundai Rotem, and POSCO E&C—has cleared the pre-qualification stage to officially bid on the project. Park, speaking at the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, emphasized Korea’s strength in technology transfer and on-time delivery.

Unlike China, which focuses primarily on price, Korea offers a European-style high-speed rail model with strong localization. The UAE plans to build a 150-km line between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, operational by 2030.

Park noted this bid could boost Korea’s presence in global infrastructure markets. He also highlighted plans to develop hydrogen-powered trains by 2028, aligning with global decarbonization goals.