State-owned railway company Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has recently inked a deal worth 200 million Saudi riyals ($53.33 million) with Italian hospitality firm Arsenale Group, signaling the launch of Saudi Arabia’s first-ever luxury train service.
Since officially opening its doors to international tourists in 2019, Saudi Arabia has been steadfast in its efforts to entice visitors to its shores, investing in various tourism ventures, including a $500 billion model city in the northwest desert region.
Presently, Saudi Arabia is embracing the sluggish travel development with the presentation of its extravagance train market, proclaiming the appearance of “Dream of the Desert.” Scheduled to start tasks by late 2025, this extravagant train will leave on “extravagance train voyage” ventures from Riyadh, the capital city, to Qurayyat, situated close to the northern boundary with Jordan, navigating around 1,300 kilometers of stunning desert scenes, including the city of Hail.
Designed to reflect “Saudi style and tradition,” the train’s 40 luxury cabins are currently in production in Italy, with reservations set to open later this year. Offering one or two-night itineraries with a maximum capacity of 82 passengers, Dream of the Desert promises an unforgettable travel experience.
Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale, expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “The initial production phases of the Dream of the Desert carriages in Italy have recently commenced, and we can’t wait for the debut of our first train in the kingdom in the coming years.”
Saudi Arabia’s introduction to the extravagance train market comes in the midst of a worldwide flood popular for fast trains and extravagance rail travels. Nations overall are putting huge aggregates into rail foundation to fulfill this need, with drives like US President Joe Biden’s $30 billion vow for rail tasks and France’s €100 billion interest into train travel by 2040.
The forthcoming extravagance train is a huge expansion to Saudi Arabia’s travel industry area, lining up with the country’s desires framed in its Vision 2030 program. SAR’s President, Bashar container Khaled Al Malik, accepts that Fantasy of the Desert will offer the two guests and occupants an unrivaled chance to investigate the realm’s areas in sumptuous solace.
It remains to be seen whether Dream of the Desert will be able to compete with other well-known luxury trains, such as the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and the Orient Express – La Dolce Vita. Regardless, SAR is hopeful about the possibilities of this aggressive endeavor.
