Saudi Arabia and Qatar have recently signed a formal agreement to link Riyadh to Doha with bullet trains. The high-speed electric railway is a first-of-it’s-kind in The Middle East and is expected to be completed within six years. It will cut the journey between the two capitals. The line will link major cities as well as international airports.
Officials from both the Middle Eastern countries have hailed the project that will stretch across 785 kilometers. The bullet trains are expected to travel speeds over 300 km/h. The journey time could be around two hours. More than 10 million passengers are expected to travel each year.
Important Saudi cities such as Riyadh, Al-Hofuf, and Dammam will be connected through the train network. Two major airports—King Salman International Airport in Riyadh and Hamad International Airport in Doha will also be linked with the train network.
The connection between Saudi Arabia and Qatar by high-speed trains is also expected to increase trade links and tourism.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar signed the agreement when the Emir had recently visited Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia has a high-speed rail network called the Haramain High-Speed Railway (HHR). It connects Makkah and Madinah, two holy cities in the country via Jeddah, the capital, Jeddah Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City. The train network stretches across 450 km. It is the fastest train network in the Middle East with trains reaching a speed of 300 km/h.
Qatar also has its own railway company that is called Qatar Rail. It is state owned and operated by the government of Qatar. The Qatar Metro in Doha is said to be affordable and has some of the fastest driverless trains in the world that are capable of reaching speeds of 100 km/h.
Although Middle Eastern countries have their own rail systems, the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to link their countries through rail will be the first time that two major countries in the Middle East will be linked to each other through rail.
