Saudi Arabia and Qatar are connecting their capitals for the first time with a high-speed rail line
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (left) and Mohammed bin Salman (right) during a meeting in September 2025. Credit: AFP / AFP / Profimedia
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have signed a formal agreement to build a high-speed rail line connecting their capitals, Riyadh and Doha, in what will be the first project of its kind between the two Gulf states in conflict until recently, writes AFP.
According to the statement published in the official Saudi media on Monday, the “high-speed electric passenger railway” will link Riyadh's King Salman International Airport with Doha's Hamad International Airport.
The line is also expected to include the Saudi cities of Al-Hofuf and Dammam.
The project envisages a rail speed of over 300 kilometers per hour and a journey time between the two capitals of approximately two hours. A direct flight between the two cities takes around 90 minutes.
10 million passengers per year
The project, to be completed in six years, is expected to serve 10 million passengers a year and create 30,000 jobs in the two countries, according to the statement.
The agreement was signed by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during the Sheikh's visit to Riyadh.
The initiative, considered one of the most important modern infrastructure projects between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is just the latest in a series of actions that mark a significant improvement in bilateral relations in recent years.
Crisis in relations and accusations of closeness to Iran
Saudi Arabia and its allies, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, severed diplomatic and shipping ties with Qatar in June 2017 when the four nations accused Doha of supporting organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood and seeking closer ties with Riyadh's rival Iran. The Qatari side vehemently denied the allegations. Relations were resumed in January 2021 after a summit in AlUla, a city in the Saudi desert.
Mohammed bin Salman visited Doha in December 2021, the first such event after breaking the deadlock in bilateral relations, as part of a regional tour of the Gulf.
Since then, the leaders of the two kingdoms have met periodically and joined forces to support various diplomatic initiatives.
