Saudi Cabinet approves electric high-speed railway link with Qatar

RIYADH – The Saudi Council of Ministers on Tuesday accepted the settlement for the electrical high-speed railway hyperlink between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Cupboard session in Riyadh.

The 785 km high-speed electrical rail line, linking Riyadh and Doha, will function speeds exceeding 300 km/h, connecting key stations like Dammam and Al-Ahsa, and decreasing journey time to roughly two hours.

On the outset of the session, the Cupboard was briefed on the current phone dialog between Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Council additionally reviewed the discussions held by the Crown Prince with President of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz throughout their official visits to the Kingdom.

The Cupboard praised the constructive outcomes of those visits, which underscored the power of bilateral relations and the mutual dedication to furthering them in any respect ranges. It additionally lauded the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed with Türkiye, in addition to these between the private and non-private sectors within the Kingdom and Germany, which purpose to broaden cooperation and coordination throughout numerous sectors, advancing shared pursuits and supporting improvement priorities.

In an announcement to the Saudi Press Company following the session, Minister of State, Member of the Cupboard for the Shoura Council’s Affairs and Performing Minister of Media Issam bin Saeed mentioned the Cupboard reviewed the most recent regional developments and the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to interact with the worldwide group in supporting regional safety and stability. It known as for adherence to the ceasefire settlement within the Gaza Strip, its full implementation, and progress towards a political answer resulting in the institution of an unbiased Palestinian state.

The Cupboard reaffirmed its assist for the outcomes of the International Coalition to Defeat ISIS assembly, hosted by Saudi Arabia, underscoring the significance of continued worldwide collaboration and concrete measures to fight cross-border terrorism, which poses a direct menace to the safety and stability of societies.

The Cupboard praised the efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Syria, together with the go to of a Saudi delegation to Damascus to launch strategic tasks and contracts within the aviation, communications, water, business, and schooling sectors, which is able to contribute to enhancing infrastructure and advancing financial progress in Syria.

The Cupboard recommended the outcomes of the second version of the AlUla Convention on Rising Market Economies 2026, organized by the Kingdom in partnership with the Worldwide Financial Fund. The convention aimed toward consolidating worldwide cooperation, selling financial and monetary reforms, and enabling rising economies to deal with international modifications in a method that achieves inclusive and sustainable progress.

The Cupboard additionally regarded the Kingdom’s election to the presidency of the Board of Administrators of the Institute of Inside Auditors for the 2027–2028 time period as affirmation of its dedication to supporting cooperation with worldwide organizations at numerous ranges and strengthening management on this subject.

The Cupboard accepted the organizational procedures for the Prince Mohammed bin Salman International Middle for Arabic Calligraphy. The Council endorsed formation of a everlasting committee to deal with all issues associated to asbestos and monitor its prohibition.

The Cupboard approved the minister of vitality or his deputy to debate and signal with the Jordanian and Turkish sides a draft framework settlement and a draft cooperation settlement on the peaceable makes use of of nuclear and atomic vitality between the governments of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Türkiye.

The Council accepted two agreements between the federal government of Saudi Arabia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the federal government of Mongolia, on the mutual exemption from short-stay visas for holders of diplomatic, particular, official, and repair passports.

The Cupboard accepted a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation within the cultural subject between the Saudi Ministry of Tradition and the Uzbek Ministry of Tradition, and a MoU between the Saudi Ministry of Well being and the Syrian Ministry of Well being for cooperation within the well being fields.

The Council approved the minister of business and mineral assets and chairman of the board of administrators of the Saudi geological survey or his deputy to debate and signal with the Yemeni aspect a draft MoU between the Saudi Geological Survey and the Yemeni Geological Survey and Mineral Sources Authority for technical and scientific geological cooperation.

The Cupboard approved the president of state safety or his deputy to debate and signal with the United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime a draft MoU between the Normal Directorate of Monetary Investigations on the Saudi Presidency of State Safety and the United Nations, represented by the United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime.