Saudi King Opens $7 Billion High-Speed Rail System

King Salman of Saudi Arabia has opened the Haramain Express high-speed rail line, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The new line links Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Medina.

The new line 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