HARAMAIN TO HOST ‘MOST EFFICIENT’ HIGH-SPEED RAIL

Saudi Arabia became home to the fastest rail link in the Middle East when King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, inaugurated the Haramain High Speed Rail connecting Jeddah to Madinah in early October.

The new project reaches speeds of 300 kilometres (km) per hour, cutting the journey time on the 450-km journey between the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to about two hours. The line passes via Jeddah, the main port city, its airport and the nearby King Abdullah Economic City.

The project will improve the links for pilgrims, as the kingdom receives around 20 million pilgrims a year, including over 2 million during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The project has the capacity to transport 60 million passengers annually, and will be vital for the government’s target of hosting 30 million pilgrims a year by 2030.

The number of pilgrims reached 2.37 million in the recently concluded Hajj season, according to the General Authority for Statistics, which is a logistics and transportation feat.

“The station in the economic city seeks to serve people of the three cities, pilgrims and Umrah performers via the high-speed rail in addition to provide various services, including business, shopping, stores, restaurants, hotels and entertainment as well as pivotal projects in the future, including establishment of a global oasis joining a museum for Islamic history,” according to the government.

‘MOST RELIABLE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN’

The railway is intended eventually to operate as an important component of a national and regional rail network. The kingdom's existing rail network is mainly focused on mining, bringing phosphates and bauxite from the north to industrial cities on the Gulf, and shipping freight from Dammam on the Gulf to Riyadh.

The project is considered an engineering feat as it is fully electric and features 46 rail bridges, nine wadi bridges, and five rail underpasses, in addition to 53 vehicular overpasses, 30 vehicular underpasses, 12 camel crossings, five stations, and three depots.

The USD 7 billion project was awarded in 2011 to a Spanish consortium, with railcars provided by Spanish manufacturer Talgo, which was commissioned to provide 35 trains for the service.

The company, which is responsible for providing maintenance for the next 12 years, said designing and manufacturing the Talgo 350 for the project required the development of many patents including guaranteeing protection from sand and dust, passenger comfort and safety in extreme climates, and ways to reduce wheel and rail wear in the desert.

“Due to its design, the Talgo 350 for Saudi Arabia is the most efficient and reliable high-speed train available today,” Talgo said.

NEW PROJECTS

The kingdom’s logistics upgrade continues apace with King Abdullah International Airport in Jeddah also moving from trial to operation phase.

The latest transition of the project will start from November to December, during which all domestic flights will be received at the airport, which will be fully operational from January to March 2019. By then the airport will welcome domestic and international flight through 46 gates, according to the General Civil Aviation Authority.

The Public Investment Fund also announced the launch of Amaala, a luxury destination on the north western coast of the country.

“The PIF has announced that Amaala will sit alongside NEOM and The Red Sea Project as part of the giga-projects investment portfolio, helping to establish a unique tourism ecosystem, supporting economic diversification and creating high-value job opportunities. The development area will span 3,800 sq km and will be easily accessible via a dedicated airport,” the company said.

The project will also feature a strong marine infrastructure, as it aims to emerge as a new destination on the Mediterranean Sea, and be dubbed as “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Meanwhile, the kingdom completed 55 road projects valued at SAR 4.9 billion during the first half of the year, spanning 1,689 km, according to the Ministry of Transport.

In addition, a number of road projects are on the way.

“The projects approved during the first half of this year amounted to 468 projects with total length of 12,592 km, amounting to more than SAR 42 billion,” the ministry said, adding that “the total number of projects signed for the year 2018 to date reached 70 projects with a total value exceeding SAR 2.4 billion, covering all regions of the kingdom.”