The Saudi Cabinet has approved an agreement for a high-speed electric rail link between the Kingdom and Qatar.
The decision was ratified during the cabinet session, chaired by the Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on Tuesday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
In December 2025, the two Gulf states signed an agreement to implement the high-speed railway project under the framework of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council.
The proposed 785-kilometre rail line will connect Riyadh and Doha, with key stations in Hofuf and Dammam. It will also link King Salman International Airport in Saudi Arabia with Hamad International Airport in Qatar.
The high-speed trains will operate at speeds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour, reducing travel time between the two capitals to around two hours.
Construction is likely to be completed within six years. The project’s cost has not been revealed.
The project is expected to generate an economic impact of nearly 115 billion Saudi riyals ($30.7 billion) on the combined GDP of both countries, serve more than 10 million passengers annually and create over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Last week, the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, said the GCC railway project is anticipated to be inaugurated in 2030.
(Editing by Anoop Menon) (anoop.menon@lseg.com)
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