Revealed on
February 13, 2026
Saudi Arabia Railways is accelerating financial diversification by carrying file passenger volumes and increasing its footprint past nationwide borders, utilizing rail connectivity to strengthen tourism, business, and regional integration. The surge in ridership and bold cross-border rail initiatives sign how transport infrastructure is changing into a robust engine for broader financial development throughout the dominion.
Saudi Arabia Railways closed 2025 with its highest efficiency on file, signaling a brand new chapter for rail journey throughout the dominion. Greater than fourteen million passengers used the community over the 12 months, marking a 7.1 % improve in comparison with 2024. To fulfill rising demand, the operator ran over forty-five thousand providers, reinforcing rail as a reliable and more and more most popular mode of transport.
The expansion displays a broader shift in how folks transfer inside Saudi Arabia. As cities develop and tourism gathers tempo, rail is rising as a sensible answer to attach main city facilities, cut back freeway congestion, and ease stress on airports. Fashionable trains now hyperlink key locations with better pace and reliability, providing passengers a cushty different to street and air journey.
A major share of the annual complete got here from non secular journeys. Through the 2025 Hajj season, practically two million pilgrims traveled between Makkah and Madinah on the Haramain Excessive-Pace Railway. The road has grow to be indispensable throughout peak pilgrimage intervals, permitting authorities to handle large journey flows easily and safely. By chopping journey occasions dramatically, the service helps each operational effectivity and the general pilgrimage expertise.
The Haramain route continues to serve vacationers past the Hajj interval, together with Umrah guests and residents transferring between the western area’s fundamental cities. Its year-round operations assist maintain native economies by guaranteeing constant customer motion. Inns, transport suppliers, and tourism-related companies profit from the regular connectivity the railway supplies.
Freight operations additionally performed a robust position within the 12 months’s outcomes. Greater than thirty million tonnes of products and minerals have been transported throughout the community in 2025. Rail stays essential for transferring uncooked supplies from mining areas to industrial services and export ports. By shifting heavy hundreds from vans to trains, the system improves street security, reduces gas consumption, and contributes to environmental targets targeted on reducing emissions.
Commercial
Commercial
Past operational achievements, the railway operator is transferring into new territory. A landmark growth introduced in 2025 is the launch of Dream of the Desert, the dominion’s first ultra-luxury rail expertise. Scheduled to start service in late 2026, the prepare will depart from Riyadh on curated one- and two-night journeys designed for high-end vacationers.
The luxurious prepare will function thirty-three personal suites, two eating automobiles, and a Majlis-style lounge. Interiors will replicate Saudi heritage by means of heat wooden tones, gold detailing, and desert-inspired coloration palettes. Moderately than serving merely as transportation, the expertise is meant to showcase landscapes, tradition, and hospitality in a approach that elevates rail right into a premium tourism providing.
Commercial
Commercial
Regional ambitions are additionally taking form. Plans are progressing for a high-speed electrical rail hyperlink connecting Riyadh and Doha, lowering journey time between the capitals to roughly two hours. The road, anticipated to open in 2031, will function at speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour and embody stops in cities comparable to Dammam and Al-Hofuf. The venture goals to deepen financial ties and facilitate smoother enterprise and leisure journey throughout borders.
On the identical time, rail growth throughout the Gulf is accelerating. The United Arab Emirates is getting ready to introduce its Etihad Rail passenger providers in 2026, initially linking Abu Dhabi and Dubai earlier than increasing to the remaining emirates. Collectively, these initiatives level towards a extra built-in regional rail system that strengthens commerce, tourism, and each day mobility.
Saudi Arabia Railways is accelerating financial diversification by carrying file passenger numbers whereas advancing daring regional rail growth plans, turning transport infrastructure right into a key driver of tourism development, commerce, and Gulf connectivity.
The achievements of 2025 underscore the transformation underway in Saudi Arabia’s transport sector. Report passenger volumes, sturdy freight efficiency, luxurious tourism innovation, and forward-looking cross-border initiatives spotlight the rising strategic significance of rail. As infrastructure funding continues, the railway community is poised to play a fair better position in shaping journey, business, and regional connectivity within the years forward.
