Saudi Railways Organisation has completed the first test run of its long-awaited Haramain high-speed rail line to a newly-built station at the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah.
The company posted a video on Twitter on Tuesday evening of the first train arriving in Jeddah. A spokesman confirmed that the test run had been completed, but said he did not have any more details on the matter.
The Haramain high-speed rail line is a 450km network connecting the kingdom’s two holy cities of Mecca and Medina via stations at the redeveloped airport in Jeddah and at King Abdullah Economic City, near Rabigh. It has been designed to reach speeds of up to 360kph.
Designs for the project were completed in 2009 and contracts worth €6.7 billion (Dh28.4bn) were signed in 2011 with the Saudi-Spanish consortium that has built it. Initially, work was meant to be completed under a three-year, fast-track contract but it has subsequently faced a number of delays.
However, last November the Spanish government's minister for public works, Inigo de la Segna, said a new deal had been agreed that would move the project back on track. It is now expected to be completed this year.
The consortium delivering the Haramain project includes several Spanish firms such as the state-owned high speed rail operator Renfe, the consultants Consultrans, the construction company Obrascon Huarte Lain and the rolling stock provider Talgo. Saudi Arabia’s investment company Al Shoula is also a partner, alongside the local contracting company Al Rosan.
Talgo said last month one of its T350 trains had reached a top speed of 310kph on a section of the tracks between King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) and Medina. A final test is due during which it will attempt a speed of 330kph.
Talgo is providing 35 trains capable of carrying more than 400 passengers each and which are currently undergoing extreme weather testing to ensure they can withstand temperatures of above 50°, as well as desert sands and dust.
Fahd Al Rasheed, the managing director and group chief executive of KAEC), welcomed the progress being made on the rail project, stating that it has "long been integral" to his city's master plan, making it more accessible to a catchment of 10 million people along the kingdom's west coast.
He said the trains would place KAEC within an hour’s travel of both Mecca and Medina, and it would be just 25 minutes from the upgraded airport in Jeddah.
Mr Al Rasheed said its station “is ready for operation and will act as a key transportation node to drive our commercial and leisure developments”, as well as anchoring the city’s main commercial district.
“The Haramain railway will supercharge KAEC’s growth as a premium residential, commercial and lifestyle destination,” he said.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%C2%A0profile
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
