Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved a landmark agreement with Qatar to establish a 785-kilometre electric high-speed rail link between Riyadh and Doha, paving the way for one of the Gulf’s most ambitious cross-border transport projects.
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The agreement was signed during the 8th session of the Saudi-Qatar Coordination Council held in Riyadh in December 2025 as part of deepening political and economic cooperation between the neighboring kingdoms.
Project specifications and impacts
Distance: The rail link spans approximately 785 km and forms a direct corridor between Riyadh and Doha.
Speed: The trains are designed to run at speeds in excess of 300 km/h (186 mph), making them among the fastest lines planned in the Middle East.
Travel time: The service is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two capitals.
Route: Major intermediate stations include Al-Hofuf and Dammam stations in Saudi Arabia, with terminals at King Salman International Airport (Riyadh) and Hamad International Airport (Doha).
Capacity and jobs: Once operational, the service is expected to carry more than 10 million passengers a year and create more than 30,000 jobs in both countries.
Timeline: Construction is expected to take approximately six years, with completion targeted for the early 2030s.
Officials from both governments described the collaboration as a strategic initiative to promote trade, tourism, sustainability and mobility across the region. With significantly reduced travel times and increased capacity for mass transit, the railway is expected to reshape the way people and goods move across the Gulf Coast.
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