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The first luxury train for “rail cruising” in the region is coming next year: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) sealed a SAR 200 mn agreement with Italy’s Arsenale Group to launch the Italian-manufactured Dream of the Desert train next year, SPA reported last week. The 25-year agreement came after they inked an MoU last year to collaborate on the Kingdom’s first luxury train service.
What we know: The Dream of the Desert train — the first of its kind in MENA — will consist of 40 luxury cabins with a maximum capacity of 80 passengers. It will travel across a 770-mile route, starting from the North Train Station in Riyadh and passing through Hail with its final stop in the northern city of Al Qurayyat, near the border with Jordan.
Project timeline: The train is currently being manufactured in Italy and is due to arrive in the Kingdom in the summer of 2025, with its first trip scheduled to depart in November of the same year. Reservations will open by the end of this year, Arsenale Chairman Paolo Barlleta said.
About Arsenale: The Italian multi-brand company develops and manages luxury hospitality and lifestyle assets, according to its website.
In line with the national strategies for both tourism and transport: The agreement is part of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, Transport and Logistics Minister Saleh Al Jasser said. The train service will allow visitors to “discover more of the Kingdom’s regions through a luxurious transportation services network,” Al Jasser said.
