Saudi Arabia is planning to double its railway network, which currently spans over 5,500 kilometres, in the coming years to drive connectivity and economic growth, the Kingdom’s Minister of Transport and Logistics Services said on Tuesday.

“Our network currently transports 30 million tonnes, the equivalent of 1.5 million truckloads, and we have an ambitious plan to double this network in the coming years,” Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said during the Global Rail event in Abu Dhabi.

He said the network also includes Haramain Railway, a 450-km high-speed line connecting Mecca and Medina via King Abdullah Economic City, catering to pilgrims and travellers.

He said the cross-border rail connection projects like the GCC Railway present transformative opportunities for comprehensive development across sectors.

“However, such projects face challenges related to financing, prioritization, and execution, with implementation costs estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said, adding that institutional coordination is required to align ambitions with necessary competencies.

(Reporting by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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