Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a landmark settlement to assemble a 785-km high-speed rail line linking their capitals.
The venture, the primary of its variety between the 2 Gulf neighbors, marks a big step in the direction of regional integration in a area the place relations have solely just lately thawed following years of stress.
Stakeholders anticipate that the railway will create hundreds of jobs, stimulate commerce and tourism, and additional join the broader Gulf Cooperation Council, supporting ongoing financial diversification efforts.
King Salman Worldwide Airport in Riyadh is about to be linked to Hamad Worldwide Airport in Doha as a part of an settlement signed in Riyadh and witnessed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
It represents a strategic transfer to deepen financial, logistical, and diplomatic cooperation between the nations.
In keeping with official statements, the high-speed line will serve over 10 million passengers yearly and is projected to generate 30,000 direct and oblique jobs throughout each nations.
Its route will characteristic stops at key Saudi cities resembling Hofuf and Dammam, and can deal with trains touring at speeds exceeding 300 km/h (186 mph).
As soon as operational, the journey between Riyadh and Doha is anticipated to take roughly two hours—lower than present highway journeys and solely barely longer than a direct flight.
The financial impression is estimated at roughly SAR115 billion ($30.7 billion), although officers haven’t disclosed the anticipated development prices, that are more likely to be substantial.
The venture is envisioned as a complicated, sustainable hall that may enhance mobility and strengthen commerce, tourism, and financial integration all through the Gulf, in keeping with Saudi Transport Minister Saleh al-Jasser.
In a submit on X, the Saudi Press Company, the official state information company, reported a press release as saying that the “two sides stress the significance of enhancing the reliability and stability of worldwide vitality markets and guaranteeing the safety of provides for all vitality sources globally, serving the pursuits of each producers and shoppers and supporting world financial development.
“The 2 sides welcome the signing of the settlement for the high-speed electrical passenger railway venture connecting Riyadh and Doha, passing by way of Dammam and Hofuf. They emphasize the venture’s standing as a significant strategic initiative, aligning with the targets of each #SaudiVision2030 and Qatar Nationwide Imaginative and prescient 2030.”
The high-speed rail venture is anticipated to be accomplished inside six years, with development and operational planning continuing in keeping with the settlement’s timeline.
It’s set to turn into one of many area’s principal transport corridors, aligning with broader Gulf initiatives geared toward deepening infrastructural, financial, and environmental cooperation.
Officers haven’t but introduced the venture’s whole price, rolling inventory suppliers, or particular environmental safeguards.
