A major transport agreement has been signed between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to build a high speed rail line that will directly connect the capitals of the two countries. The project is the first of its kind between the two Gulf nations and is expected to transform cross border travel in the region.
According to a statement released in Saudi official media, the “high speed electric passenger railway” will link King Salman International Airport in Riyadh with Hamad International Airport in Doha. The railway network will also include the Saudi cities of Al Hofuf and Dammam.
The trains are expected to run at speeds of more than 300 kilometers per hour, cutting travel time between the two capitals to around two hours. At present, a direct flight between Riyadh and Doha takes about 90 minutes.
The project is scheduled to be completed within six years. Once operational, it is expected to serve nearly 10 million passengers every year and generate around 30,000 jobs across both countries.
The agreement was signed during the visit of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also took part in the signing, marking another step forward in the growing cooperation between the two nations.
The rail project is being seen as one of the most significant modern infrastructure initiatives between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It also reflects the steady improvement in relations after years of strained ties.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia and its allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt had cut diplomatic and transport links with Qatar. Relations were fully restored in January 2021 after a regional summit held in AlUla. Since then, leaders from both countries have met regularly and worked together on several diplomatic efforts.
More recently, Saudi Arabia also supported Qatar following a September attack that targeted leaders of the Palestinian group Hamas in Doha. The strike resulted in multiple casualties, including members of Hamas, Qatari security forces, and civilians.
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