Saudi Arabia announced the construction of four stations along the route of the Al Haramain High Speed Train Project.

The four stations are located in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and Rabigh, all in the western part of Saudi Arabia. The project would be completed in 30 months from the starting date of the project implementation, added the Minister who is also chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO). The station in Rabigh will serve the King Abdullah Economic City.

Earlier this month the Minister of Transport signed the stations’ four contracts with the Minister of Finance Dr Ebrahim Al Assaf and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Investment Fund.

A consortium of Saudi Binladin Group (SBG) and Saudi Oger Limited won the project contracts. The 450km electric railway will connect Madinah, Yanbu, Jeddah, and Makkah and will reduce congestion on the roads between Makkah and Madinah.

International standards

The Saudi Transport Minister said the stations would be built according to the latest international standards, adding that the design bore characteristics of the Islamic architecture of the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and would be inspired by the historical and cultural environment of the two cities of Jeddah and Rabigh.

Al Suraisry explained that the project will play a vital role in training and employing national cadres. “Our focus in this project would be on Saudisation and Saudi women will be hired in appropriate jobs in the project’s different phases,” he said.