Rs 580000000000: What is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s mega ‘Land Bridge’ rail project? Will connect Jeddah to…, aims 4 hours…

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has unveiled a grandiose $7 billion (approximately Rs 58,000 crore) ‘Land Bridge’ high-speed rail project to further enhance Saudi Arabia’s wealth, prestige, and vision. This 1,500-km rail network will connect Jeddah on the Red Sea to Riyadh and then Dammam on the Arabian Gulf. The train ride from Jeddah to Riyadh will be cut down from 12 hours to just 4 hours.

What is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s mega ‘Land Bridge’ rail project?

This effort is a key component of Saudi Vision 2030 and is being referred to as a “desert miracle,” created to connect the country’s major cities and make Saudi Arabia a world-leading transportation center.
This ambitious rail project is aimed at creating a direct link between the two bodies of water bordering the Kingdom, the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. The Land Bridge will span nearly 1,500 kilometers connecting Jeddah on the Red Sea to Dammam on the Gulf, with Riyadh as the key hub of the site.

Where will the Land Bridge connect in Saudi Arabia? Why is the project considered a game-changer for travel between Jeddah and Riyadh?

Passengers traveling from Riyadh to Jeddah will benefit the most from this project, as the 12 hours of travel time by road will be reduced to less than four hours once the high-speed rail service is operational. This will change the travel experience between the two cities.

According to officials, modernization of the Saudi railway network is a critical component of Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Vision 2030, with a focus on upgrading it from 5,300 kilometers to 8,000 kilometers, to position Saudi Arabia as a logistics and transportation hub in the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula region.

The Saudi Railway Company (SAR) plans to create a complete network of freight and passenger station facilities connecting King Abdullah Port with primary industrial areas, chiefly Yanbu. As part of a modernization plan, SAR has ordered 15 new trains operating at speeds of up to 200 km/h.

What is the Dream of the Desert project?

Besides the Land Bridge, Saudi Arabia is also launching “Dream of the Desert,” a 1,290-kilometer luxury train experience that will provide the passengers opportunity to see stunning and mountainous views of the natural scenery of the Kingdom, and will travel from the capital of Riyadh to Qurayyat. The expansion blueprint also features hydrogen-fueled trains, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s emphasis on clean energy and sustainability in its transportation markets. Rail travel is already very popular, with over 2.6 million passengers utilizing Saudi trains during the second quarter of 2025.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has unveiled a grandiose $7 billion (approximately Rs 58,000 crore) ‘Land Bridge’ high-speed rail project.
2. This effort is a key component of Saudi Vision 2030 and is being referred to as a “desert miracle.”
3. Saudi Arabia is also launching “Dream of the Desert,” a 1,290-kilometer luxury train experience.
4. It will provide the passengers opportunity to see stunning and mountainous views of the natural scenery of the Kingdom.

Saudi Arabia is making steady progress toward integrating land, air, and sea transport with the Land Bridge at its heart so that the Kingdom can become the beating heart of transport across the Middle East.