Russia Set to Bid for Saudi Rail Projects

Russia is to submit an application in order to build railway infrastructure for Saudi Arabia after Saudi Arabia opened a high-speed rail link between Mecca and Medina, according to reports.

Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investments Fund (RDIF) and board member of Russian Railways, is quoted as saying: “Russian Railways will apply for the construction of a railway from Saudi Arabia.

“We believe that Russian Railways has one of the best competencies in the world in the construction of railways.

“For example, now in India, Russian Railways will be one of the country's main partners in the construction of railways.”

Saudi King Opens $7 Billion High-Speed Rail System

The new rail line in Saudi Arabia spans a total of 450km and heralds a new era of rail transport in the GCC area.

Rail has long been missing in the Middle East due to hot climates upsetting the composition of rail tracks, however new designs mean Saudi Arabia has been able to push on and create new links between its major cities.

The cost of the new rail system is estimated to be around US$7.1billion.

The new network means that the journey time between Mecca and Jeddah is around 21 minutes.

In total, with stops included, the travel time between Mecca and Medina will be just under 2.5 hours.

Read more: Kuwait Begins Work on GCC Rail