8 Dec 2025
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Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a proper settlement to assemble high-speed rail connecting their capitals, the primary mission of its type between the 2 Gulf states that have been as soon as deeply at odds.
In line with a press release in official Saudi media on Monday, the “high-speed electrical passenger railway” would join Riyadh’s King Salman Worldwide Airport with Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport.
The Saudi cities of Al-Hofuf and Dammam are additionally anticipated to be on the community.
The practice would attain speeds exceeding 300km/h (186mph) and the journey would take roughly two hours between the 2 capitals.
A direct flight between the cities clocks in at round 90 minutes.
The mission, set to be accomplished in six years, expects to serve 10 million passengers per 12 months and create 30,000 jobs throughout each international locations, the assertion stated.
The settlement was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in the course of the latter’s go to to Riyadh.
The mission, thought of probably the most vital trendy infrastructure undertakings between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, marks the most recent in a sequence of strikes marking the drastic enchancment in ties between the 2 Gulf international locations lately.
Saudi Arabia and its allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had reduce all diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar in June 2017.
The 4 nations accused Doha of backing teams such because the Muslim Brotherhood and searching for nearer ties with Saudi Arabia’s archrival Iran – allegations Qatar vehemently denied.
Relations have been totally restored in January 2021 after a summit within the Saudi desert metropolis of AlUla.
MBS visited Doha in December 2021 for the primary time because the thaw in ties, as a part of a regional Gulf tour.
Since then, leaders from the 2 kingdoms have met recurrently and joined forces to again diplomatic initiatives together with requires a ceasefire in Israel’s greater than two-year genocidal warfare on Palestinians in Gaza.
Riyadh additionally threw its help behind Qatar following Israel’s first recognized assault on Qatar in September, which focused leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas, housed in a Qatari authorities residential advanced, as they gathered to debate a ceasefire deal proposed by United States President Donald Trump.
A minimum of six folks have been killed and 4 others injured within the strikes, together with members of Hamas and the Qatari safety forces in addition to civilians.
