Saudi Arabia’s Luxury Train Service Desert Dream to Begin Operations in Late 2025
Saudi Railways Company (SAR) and the Italian Arsenale Group, which specialises in managing luxury train trips, signed an agreement to launch the “Desert Dream” train in Saudi Arabia.
The “Desert Dream” train, consisting of 40 luxury cabins, will open for reservations at the end of the current calendar year, and the actual operation is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The new train service is aimed at providing the opportunity for visitors to discover more regions of the kingdom through an integrated framework of luxurious transportation services.
The proposed luxury train service, part of Saudi Railway’s efforts to provide more tourism and entertainment services to customers, will run between the capital city of Riyadh to Qurayyat in the initial phase, with the route starting from the North Train Station in Riyadh, passing through Hail and ending at the passenger train station in Qurayyat.
The latest agreement on launch plans follows Saudi Railways Company and Arsenale Group signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the implementation of the project on March 15, 2023.
Paolo Barletta, Chairman of Arsenale Group, said the initial production stages of the “Desert Dream” train had recently begun in Italy in preparation for entering service according to the announced plan.
Dr. Bashar bin Khaled Al-Malik, CEO of Saudi Railways Company, said the proposed luxury train services, a first for Saudi Arabia and the MENA region, will add quality services and additional options to the modes of transportation in the Kingdom.
The agreement on the “Desert Dream’ train project is one of the initiatives of the Saudi National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services to improve the quality of life and support leading national strategies.
The Arsenal Company, which invested more than SAR200 million in the “Desert Dream” train, specialises in luxury hospitality, international hotel and resort management, and luxury travel.
