Saudi Arabia–Qatar 785 km HSR approved

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet formally approved in February 2026 the construction of a 785-kilometre electric high-speed rail line connecting Riyadh to Doha.

What is the Saudi Arabia–Qatar high-speed rail project?

On 10 February 2026, the Saudi cabinet endorsed a bilateral agreement signed in December 2025 to build a 785-kilometre high-speed electric railway between the two capitals. The line will connect King Salman International Airport in Riyadh with Hamad International Airport in Doha, with trains operating at up to 300 km/h and cutting travel time to approximately two hours. The project is the first direct high-speed rail (HSR) link between the two Gulf states.

A multi-billion project aligned with Vision 2030

According to Qatari government estimates, the project could generate 115 billion Saudi riyals (approximately €27 billion) in combined gross domestic product (GDP) and create up to 30,000 jobs across both economies. The investment is framed as a flagship initiative under both Saudi Vision 2030 and Qatar National Vision 2030, which prioritise economic diversification and sustainable infrastructure.

Construction is expected to take approximately six years from financial close, placing the targeted operational date in the early 2030s. The December 2025 signature followed years of diplomatic rapprochement after the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) blockade of Qatar ended in January 2021.

Part of a wider Gulf rail integration strategy

The Riyadh–Doha corridor is one component of a broader Gulf Railway network intended to interconnect the six GCC member states — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. The project complements Saudi Arabia’s existing Haramain High Speed Railway and the expanding Riyadh Metro, the region’s largest single-city rail investment at over $22 billion.

Sources:
— The Peninsula Qatar, “Saudi Cabinet approves electric high-speed rail link with Qatar”, 11 February 2026