Saudi Arabia and Qatar sign deal to build 785km high-speed railway

Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh Al-Jasser and Minister of Transport of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani signed the deal in Riyadh (Image: Saudi Press Agency)

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a deal to build a 785km-long high-speed railway that links their capital cities.

The signing of the deal was witnessed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani during the latter’s visit to Riyadh.

According to an official statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency, the line would link Riyadh and Doha, passing through key stations including Hofuf and Dammam. It would also connect Saudi Arabia’s King Salman International Airport with Qatar’s Hamad International Airport.

The project would only take six years to construct, with trains running at speeds “exceeding 300kmh” reducing travel time between the two capitals to two hours.

Meanwhile, the railway is expected to create 30,000 direct and indirect jobs and have an economic impact of SAR115 billion (US$30.7 billion) on both countries.

The statement did not reveal how much the line is expected to cost to build.