The Saudi government greenlighted an electric high speed rail link between the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the Qatari capital, Doha, this week.
Confirmed December last year, the Saudi authorities have now legally authorised the high-speed railway line.
Rails are Ratified
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Saudi Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, approved a “agreement on the electric high-speed railway linkage between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the State of Qatar,” according to Saudi state media yesterday.
The railway line, stretching 785km, will connect the two GCC capitals in two hours whilst the time duration from construction to completion is six years.
Key stations include Hofuf and Dammam, on the Gulf coast, which will link King Salman International Airport with Doha’s Hamad International Airport.
GDP & Employment Boost
Forecasts suggest a GDP boost of SAR 115B ($30.6B) for both countries, serving over 10M passengers annually and creating more than 30, 000 (in-)direct jobs, the report said.
In the Works: Etihad Rail & GCC Rail
The UAE is also preparing to rollout Etihad Rail this year in 2026 although the full opening has been routinely delayed since 2025. Previous plans indicated passenger service slated for 2025.
Etihad Rail aims to link 11 cities in the Emirates.
GCC integration between each economy is forecast to arrive by 2031 although the Hafeet rail line – between Oman and the UAE – is the only cross-border link under construction.
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