Travel in Saudi Arabia has never been the same since the introduction of the speedy rail transport to the kingdom. It is called the Haramain High-Speed Railway. The name Haramain implies “two sanctuaries” in Arabic. The sanctuaries in this context are the two holy cities, namely Makkah and Madinah. While the project connects Makkah and Madinah, it also links up with Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City by train. This article discusses the impact this massive project has had on the connectivity of Saudi Arabia
Why Saudi’s High-Speed Railway
The aim of this project is to shorten the travel distance between the holy cities to 2 hours. It is also a step closer to the kingdom’s Vision 2030 transportation goals of connecting the country with an 8,000-kilometer track.
In the past, it used to take 11 days to travel on camels from Medina to Makkah. It further became 4 hours and 30 minutes by road in the more modern times. With the development of the Haramain High-Speed Railway, Muslims can now make the pilgrimage in 2 hours.
Here are the things to know about Saudi Arabia’s High-Speed Train:
- Ease of Access: The train can easily be booked online, thereby removing the hassle of going to the station to book a ticket. The HHR Tsin app is available both in Arabic and English, and it has options for users to switch between the Islamic and the Gregorian Calendar.
- Speed: The train runs up to 300km per hour, which is a speed almost as fast as that of an airplane.
- Capacity: Each train has 417 seats out of which 113 are business class and the rest are economy. Moreover, passengers are allowed to bring one large luggage item of up to 25kg and one personal item.
- Safety: The trains have live cameras for monitoring and staff to assist when needed. In addition to that, all luggage undergoes security screening before boarding.
- Comfort: The seats are soft and comfortable. It has clean bathrooms and a cafeteria on the 5th floor. It also has extra legroom, foldable tables, foldable armrests, and headrests.
- Connectivity: The railway currently covers 450km (280 miles), spanning Madina to Makkah with key stops at Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, and Aking Abdullah Economic City.
Haramain High-Speed Railway Station
The Saudi High-Speed Railway connects 5 key stations together while serving millions of people. Here are the 5 stations that link together with their beautiful features:
- Makkah Station: This station, situated just 3.5 km from Masjid Al-Haram, is known for its Kiswa cloth and services related design elements for Muslim pilgrims
- Airport (Jeddah) Station: The King Abdulaziz International Airport is connected to the Haramain Railway. This helps people to be more coordinated, particularly during Hajj and Ramadan. In addition, it takes only 32 minutes to travel from this station to KAEC, which is about 111km (69 miles) apart.
- Al-Sulimaniyah (Jeddah) Station: This is a major transport hub in Jeddah, located 20km from King Abdulaziz Airport. The railway station also connects Jeddah to other parts of the kingdom by train.
- King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) Station: This station is close to the King Abdullah Port. It aims to foster economic activities, including business and tourism.
- Madinah Station: This station’s design is inspired by the Prophet’s Mosque and Islamic patterns. The station is near the city center.
The Bigger GCC Railway Project
The Saudi High-Speed Railway Project is not a standalone; it appears to be part of the bigger ongoing railway projects in the Arabian Gulf. The Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCC) is made up of 6 member countries, namely Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar.
All these countries have come together to take on one big railway network to increase the interconnectivity of the region. In other words, one train will be able to go around the entire Arabian Gulf. The ambition is to create a 2,117-kilometer railway that connects ports, major cities, and industries from one country to the other.
The GCC railway project was approved in 2009, but the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted a setback on it. The committee in charge of the project issued December 2030 as the deadline for the railways to be operational.
The rail tracks will begin from Kuwait City, go through Dammam, and Al-Batha Port in Saudi Arabia. It will then pass through Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the UAE to enter Oman through Sohar and stop at Muscat. There will be other branches along the way to lead to other cities and districts.
For example, the branches in Damman will join Bahrain through King Hamad Causeway, eventually leading to Qatar through Salwa Port. Meanwhile, Khalifa bin Salman Port will be followed by stations at the Bahrain International Airport, and will lead from there to Qatar through the stations at Amwaj Islands.
Every member of the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, was given specific portions to build. Each of them will be responsible for building the link that will pass through their territory. For example, Saudi Arabia will build a link with Kuwait in the northeast, while building links with the UAE through the Al Batha border. Meanwhile, the kingdom will also build a connection with Oman’s railway system to the southeast.
The main aim of this project is to:
- Join cities together to foster regional collaboration
- Create a thriving atmosphere for more businesses to be conducted
- Make tourism easier and more accessible
- Protect roads by reducing the number of trucks on the road.
- Create multiple jobs
One Visa, Many Adventures: The GCC Unified Tourist Visa
The GCC Grand Tour Visa, also known as the unified visa, is intended to facilitate visits by non-nationals to the region. Before now, people paying a visit to any of these six countries would need to obtain different visas for each country. That is, someone who visited Saudi Arabia will need another visa to visit Kuwait or Qatar.
However, with the new GCC visa, someone can enter all the countries without needing to apply for another visa. This makes things easier, faster, less stressful, and less expensive than the way it was done before.
In other words, with one application and one payment, any qualified person can now move from one GCC country to the others. This unified visa initiative is expected to kick off by December 2025 or January 2026. When combined with the railway project, it is one of the most transformative projects for both citizens and tourists.
Benefits of the GCC Unified Visa and the GCC Railway Project
For citizens of Saudi Arabia and members of the Gulf, the rail project will enable them to move faster and more easily to anywhere they want to visit within the region. For non-Gulf members, things will begin to take new shapes. They will be able to move with ease. The following are the benefits:
- Less paperwork: With the elimination of multiple visas, visitors have less paperwork to carry around. They also will not need to carry around multiple documents for verification.
- Significant Reduction of Travel Stress: Rather than the current mode of taking multiple flights and taxis, passengers can take just one train and move across borders.
- Less Costly: A unified visa system and rail network is directly proportionate to fewer tickets, visas, and fees. There will be a reduction in the need for bookings, from airplanes to taxis.
- Saves Time: A Unified visa eliminates the need for multiple applications, waiting for approval, and background checks. The train system will eliminate the amount of time spent moving from one place to another by removing border restrictions.
- Eco-Friendly Travel: The train project is banking on electric train rides. This helps to reduce air and road traffic as well as the pollution that comes with them.
These benefits will change the tourist experience in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries forever.
What Travelers Can Expect in the Near Future
Right now, the Haramain Railway is already running with about 50 trips a day, and 100 trips during Hajj and Ramadan. Presently, Saudi Arabia is working on linking Jeddah to Riyadh Landbridge, while the UAE and Oman are working towards connecting at Hafeet Rail. On the 2nd of July 2025, the Qatar Cabinet approved the linking of the countries from their own end.
Therefore, travelers can expect their journeys to be more seamless and get used to traveling by train. Furthermore, there will be less hassle. Bookings will be done via apps as the Gulf is preparing digital portals for tourists.
