Gulf on Fast Track: Saudi-Qatar High-Speed Rail Link Wins Cabinet Green Light

High-speed electric passenger train on elevated desert railway corridor showcasing modern cross-border rail infrastructure, advanced railway engineering, and sustainable long-distance transport connectivity.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved an agreement with Qatar to develop a new high-speed electric rail line connecting Riyadh and Doha as part of a landmark cross-border transport initiative in the Gulf. The line will run for about 785 kilometres, creating a direct corridor between the two capitals and forming a key section of the wider GCC railway vision.

Project Overview:

• Route length: approximately 785 km

• Mode: electric high-speed passenger railway

• Endpoints: Riyadh and Doha

• Intermediate cities: Hofuf and Dammam

• Airport links: King Salman International Airport and Hamad International Airport

• Top speed: over 300 km/h

• Target travel time: around 2 hours between capitals

• Programme duration: about six years from implementation to completion

• Forecast demand: more than 10 million passengers annually

• Employment impact: over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs expected

Political and institutional backdrop

The high-speed rail agreement forms part of broader efforts to deepen Saudi–Qatari economic and political cooperation after relations normalised in 2021. The two governments signed the rail implementation agreement in December 2025 during the eighth session of the Saudi–Qatar Coordination Council in Riyadh, with the deal witnessed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Institutionally, the project will sit within the framework of both countries’ transport and logistics strategies and plug into the longer-term GCC Railway plans that aim to connect multiple Gulf states by rail.

Technical and operational features

The line is planned as a dedicated electric high-speed passenger system, supporting operating speeds in excess of 300 km/h to deliver competitive journey times versus air and road travel. Stations at Hofuf and Dammam will strengthen connectivity across Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, while direct links into the two international airports are designed to create seamless intermodal connections for travellers.

Key technical characteristics include:

• Electrified double-track high-speed alignment

• Design for speeds above 300 km/h

• High-capacity rolling stock tailored to regional climate conditions

• Modern signalling, train control, and safety systems suitable for cross-border operations

Timeline and next steps

With cabinet approval in place, both governments can now proceed with detailed design, institutional arrangements, and procurement strategies. The agreement frame envisages a six‑year window to bring the project from implementation start to operational service, though specific construction milestones and contract awards have yet to be confirmed publicly.

The project reactivates a concept that Saudi Arabia and Qatar revived in 2022, when they agreed to begin formal studies on a rail connection after earlier proposals had stalled.

Strategic significance for the Gulf

The Riyadh–Doha high-speed line is expected to:

• Strengthen people-to-people links and support business travel between the two capitals

• Stimulate tourism flows and new leisure corridors in combination with airport and city attractions

• Support trade and investment by improving labour mobility and reducing travel friction

• Reinforce momentum behind the broader GCC Railway vision and regional integration

By choosing an electric high-speed specification, the project also aligns with both countries’ decarbonisation and transport modernisation agendas, signalling a shift away from exclusive reliance on aviation and private cars for intercity mobility.

Opportunities for contractors and suppliers

Although procurement has not yet started, the scale and complexity of the scheme point to sizeable future opportunities across:

• Civil works: viaducts, bridges, cuttings, tunnels, embankments across desert terrain

• Trackwork: slab track or ballasted high-speed track systems and associated rail technologies

• Systems: electrification (overhead catenary), signalling, telecommunications, and control centres

• Rolling stock: high-speed trainsets designed for desert conditions and cross-border operations

• Stations and interchanges: multi-modal hubs at intermediate cities and airport terminals

• Operations and maintenance: long-term O&M concessions, depot construction, and asset management

Companies with experience in high-speed rail, desert construction, and complex systems integration are likely to be strongly positioned once tenders are released.

Writer’s opinion

On paper, the Saudi–Qatar high-speed link looks like exactly the kind of transformative infrastructure project the Gulf needs: electric, cross-border, and aligned with broader regional integration plans. The challenge will be to avoid the historical pattern of ambitious GCC rail schemes that suffer from fragmented standards, misaligned timelines, and shifting political priorities, which in the past have slowed delivery to a crawl.

If Riyadh and Doha can convert this cabinet approval into a tightly phased, well-funded delivery programme, with transparent governance and realistic risk allocation, the project could become the backbone of a future Gulf high-speed network rather than another stalled vision. For now, the green light is an encouraging signal, but the real test will come when alignments are finalised, land is acquired, and multi‑billion‑dollar contracts start to hit the market