With the Middle East in turmoil and major new developments unravelling by the week in Syria, Yemen and the Sudan, we could be forgiven for allowing the announcement of a major civilizational project to pass under our radar at the beginning of this month.
However, the 785-kilometer (487.7-mile) Riyadh-Doha electric train link, announced in Riyadh and signed in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is worthy of attention. After many years of regional indecision and disorder, Doha and Riyadh will be the first Arab capitals linked by rail.
The European experience has shown that the construction of railway networks is a vital tool in achieving regional economic integration by stimulating economic activity, improving access to markets and driving urbanization by linking remote areas to larger cities. This has many knock-on benefits, such as the creation of growth centers and enhanced property values.
Saudi Arabia has already seen this with the integrated Mecca-Medina High Speed Railway, now in its eighth year of operation. The holy cities are hosting a record number of visitors, and critical points between them, such as the King Abdullah Economic City, are seeing a significant boost to their local economies. The time has now come to scale up this local success to give a monumental boost to trade, tourism and vitally, pilgrimage.
The proposed route will take passengers from Hamad International Airport in Doha to the new King Salman International Airport, currently under development, at 300 kilometers per hour in just under two hours, making it a serious competitor to air travel.
Five primary passenger stations, including strategic hubs in Hofuf and Dammam, will serve the route. The trains will carry light and medium goods, as well as passengers, thereby strengthening cross-border supply chain logistics and boosting bilateral trade by cutting delivery times and reducing operational costs. This will represent an option far cheaper than air and faster than road. There are also significant environmental benefits, including the use of renewable energy and reduced pollutant emissions.
The route will serve at least 10 million passengers annually, making it a major regional artery for high-speed travel.
A minimum of 30,000 jobs will be created from the project in sectors as diverse as construction, engineering, operations, maintenance, retail and cybersecurity. Local and foreign companies will be invited to tender for contracts, with Türkiye and China in particular having relevant expertise in the fast implementation of long-distance rail projects.
The full cost of the project has not yet been revealed. Although the route and intent have been finalized, feasibility studies and preliminary designs, followed by detailed engineering and financial planning, remain incomplete. However, a moderate estimate puts the project at $30 billion, which is reasonable given that two ambitious, wealthy countries eager to develop their physical infrastructure rapidly would share the cost. Moreover, the amount is readily recoverable in the medium term, and the project would provide an immediate boost to both economies upon initiation.
The wider project is far bigger than merely connecting two capitals. The bigger picture involves integrating this line with the broader Saudi Landbridge Project, which includes constructing another line from Riyadh to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah – the gateway to the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina. In this way, Saudi Arabia is linking its provinces, and importantly, doing so at a time when it is once again placing significant strategic focus on the Red Sea region.
The project confirms that Saudi-Qatari ties are strong once again. It connects the world through the two nations and promotes interaction, social cohesion, goodwill and the restoration of historical brotherly ties.
Now, it is easy to imagine scenes similar to those witnessed during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Saudi football fans crossed the border on evenings and weekends to watch matches, while fans from around the world used the gaps between games to visit Mecca and Madinah for religious tourism. Saudi Arabia will host its own World Cup in 2034, by which time these projects may be completed, potentially allowing a repeat of what occurred four years ago, but in reverse.
As tourism booms in the region, winter trips to Doha will be planned, often supplemented by an Umrah trip or a visit to relatives in Jeddah or Riyadh. All this represents a win-win for Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with an even more attractive destination in its own right, Doha becoming a growing regional transit hub.
This project can be an example of what is possible in the new Middle East, where building and cementing ties of cooperation are the norm, rather than the narrative of the usual indecision, instability and destruction which have plagued the region for many years.
