RIAYDH — The CEO of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) said no agreement has been reached with a Chinese alliance to implement the Land Bridge project linking Riyadh and Jeddah, citing the consortium's failure to meet local content requirements. Speaking on the television program Fi Al Surah ("In the Picture") on Monday, SAR CEO Bashar bin Khalid Al-Malik said the strategic rail project will instead be delivered "through a new mechanism and in phases," with completion expected before 2034. Al-Malik made the remarks while outlining SAR's broader rail strategy and recent operational developments across the Kingdom. He said SAR had relocated freight train operations away from Hofuf to improve residents' quality of life, noting that the project was completed last year as part of efforts to balance infrastructure expansion with community considerations. Addressing questions about station locations in the north of the Kingdom, Al-Malik explained that Al-Jouf station is located far from Sakaka city because the railway route was originally designed to serve the mining sector, with passenger services added later. On seasonal and religious transport, he said SAR was tasked by a Council of Ministers decision with operating the Mashaaer Train during Hajj. He noted that the train was operated during the last Hajj season with 100 percent Saudi manpower. "The Mashaaer Train is among the largest in the world," Al-Malik said, adding that each train can carry around 3,000 passengers per trip. Turning to regional connectivity, Al-Malik described the Riyadh–Doha train as the first high-speed rail service in the region linking two countries. He said the line operates over a 785-kilometer network, serves Hofuf and Dammam, and reaches speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. He added that the project connects King Salman International Airport in Riyadh with Hamad International Airport in Doha, strengthening air and rail integration between the two capitals and major cities along the corridor. Al-Malik also highlighted the growing role of women in the rail sector, saying Saudi women have shown high efficiency in operating the Haramain High Speed Railway. "We launched training programs for Saudi women to operate high-speed trains, and we were very surprised by the strong turnout," he said. Al-Malik said development work is underway on the Eastern Railway Network, with new trains set to be introduced to double passenger capacity by the end of 2027.
