The CEO of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), Bashar Al-Malik, indicated that an agreement with a Chinese alliance has not been entered into to execute the Land Bridge project connecting Jeddah and Riyadh, claiming that the consortium did not satisfy local content requirements.
SAR CEO announced on the television program Fi Al Surah (“In the Picture”) that the strategic rail project will be presented in a new mechanism and in phases, and is expected to be completed before 2034.
Al-Malik placed the new project in the context of SAR’s overall rail strategy and recent operational updates.
He said SAR relocated freight train activities from Hofuf to improve residents’ quality of life, noting this project was completed last year to better align infrastructure with community needs.
In response to queries regarding the points where the stations will be situated in the north of the Kingdom, Al-Malik indicated that Al-Jouf station is far apart compared to the location of Sakaka city, since the railway line was initially intended to serve the mining industry, with passenger amenities included later.
On seasonal and religious trains, he claimed SAR had been charged by a decision of the Council of Ministers to operate the Mashaaer Train at Hajj. He observed that the train was run in the last Hajj season using 100 percent Saudi manpower.
Al-Malik added that each train might carry around 3,000 passengers per trip, “The Mashaaer Train is among the largest in the world.”
In the move towards regional connectivity, Al-Malik explained the Riyadh-Doha train as the initial high-speed rail service in the region between the two nations. He added that the line is managed on a 785-kilometer route, which serves Hofuf and Dammam, and can achieve a speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour.
He explained that the project links King Salman International Airport in Riyadh with Hamad International Airport in Doha and enhances integration of air and rail between the two capitals and major cities along the route.
Al-Malik also emphasized the increased involvement of women in the rail industry by stating that Saudi women have been very efficient when it comes to using the Haramain High Speed Railway.
“We launched training programs for Saudi women to operate high-speed trains, and we were very surprised by the strong turnout,” He added.
Thus, Al-Malik claimed that there is ongoing development on the Eastern Railway Network, with new trains to be launched by the end of 2027.
