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(BUTTON) Search with google * Make a contribution * Subscribe * (BUTTON) International edition + switch to the UK edition + switch to the US edition + switch to the Australia edition * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * The Guardian app * Video * Podcasts * Pictures * Newsletters * Today's paper * Inside the Guardian * The Observer * Guardian Weekly * Crosswords * Facebook * Twitter * Search jobs * Dating * Holidays * Digital Archive * Discount Codes * World * Europe * US * Americas * Asia * Australia * Middle East * Africa * Inequality * Cities * Global development (BUTTON) More Saudi Arabia This article is more than 1 year old Saudi Arabia opens high-speed rail linking Islam's holy cities This article is more than 1 year old Haramain railway connecting Mecca and Medina part of plan to increase visitor numbers Reuters in Jeddah Tue 25 Sep 2018 16.16 BST Last modified on Tue 25 Sep 2018 20.04 BST * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email A high-speed train at the new King Abdullah Economic City station near Jeddah. [ ] A high-speed train at the new King Abdullah Economic City station near Jeddah. Photograph: Stephen Kalin/Reuters Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has inaugurated a high-speed rail link between the two holiest cities in Islam, part of efforts to boost tourism as the country seeks to shed dependence on oil exports. The 280-mile (450km) Haramain railway connecting Mecca and Medina with the Red Sea city of Jeddah cost £6bn ($7.87bn) and is one of the largest transport projects in the Middle East, targeting nearly 60 million passengers annually. Commercial operations are due to begin next week. Hajj 2018: the annual Islamic pilgrimage – in pictures Read more “The journey between the Haramain (two holy mosques) is now shorter and easier than at any time before,” the Saudi transport minister, Nabil al-Amoudi, told dignitaries gathered at the Jeddah station. “The project highlights the kingdom’s commitment to serving Islam and Muslims.” Pilgrimage is the backbone of a plan to expand tourism under economic reforms announced two years ago by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the economy. The hajj, a journey every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must perform once in a lifetime, can be a profound experience. The new service will halve the journey time between Mecca and Medina. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The new service will halve the journey time between Mecca and Medina. Photograph: Stephen Kalin/Reuters It is also big business for Saudi Arabia. The hajj and the year-round lesser pilgrimage, umrah, generate billions of dollars in revenues from worshippers’ lodging, transport, gifts, food and fees. The new rail link was built by a Spanish-led consortium and financed by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. It halves travel time between Mecca, the spiritual heart of Islam, and Medina, its second most sacred site. Project manager Mohammed Fallatah said the train would offer fast and reliable transportation to pilgrims as well as Saudis and foreign residents. “The traveller will be comfortable. He can read books or magazines or enjoy watching the screens in business class, have a coffee or a light meal,” he said before Tuesday’s ceremony. The authorities hope the train will also stimulate growth of King Abdullah Economic City, a massive business zone that was initiated under the previous ruler but remains relatively empty. It will eventually link up with a new terminal at Jeddah airport, which has already started serving select domestic routes and will take over all flights by early next year. Fatallah said further expansion could include connecting to a planned east-west train between the capital, Riyadh, and Jeddah. Pilgrims comprise the bulk of Saudi Arabia’s 20 million annual foreign visitors, apart from workers and business travellers. More than 2 million came for this year’s hajj and 6.5 million performed umrah in 2017. Officials aim to increase the number of umrah and hajj pilgrims to 15 million and five million respectively by 2020, and hope to double the umrah number again to 30 million by 2030. After the hajj: Mecca residents grow hostile to changes in the holy city Read more In addition to public transit, Saudi Arabia is investing tens of billions of dollars in mega-hotels and a Grand Mosque restoration in Mecca. The Faisaliah project, running from the edge of Mecca towards the Red Sea, aims to attract visitors to coastal getaways and Islamic research centres. Topics * Saudi Arabia * Rail transport * Islam * Hajj * Middle East and North Africa * Religion * Transport * news * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Pinterest * Share on WhatsApp * Share on Messenger * Reuse this content more on this story * Young v old, urban v rural: cultural reforms expose Saudi fault lines Urban elites have embraced cultural transformation but among conservatives there is fear and resentment Published: 6 Dec 2019 Young v old, urban v rural: cultural reforms expose Saudi fault lines * Saudi Aramco to be world's most valuable firm after IPO next week Oversubscribed listing in Riyadh of 1.5% stake in state oil company will value it at $1.7tn Published: 5 Dec 2019 Saudi Aramco to be world's most valuable firm after IPO next week * Saudi Arabia: arrests of dissidents and torture allegations continue Relaxing of social laws has belied repression since murder of Jamal Khashoggi, says report Published: 4 Nov 2019 Saudi Arabia: arrests of dissidents and torture allegations continue * Saudi Arabia to allow unmarried foreign men and women to share hotel rooms Kingdom relaxes rules as it turns to tourism to bolster economy for post-oil era Published: 6 Oct 2019 Saudi Arabia to allow unmarried foreign men and women to share hotel rooms * + Bodyguard to Saudi king reportedly shot dead by friend Published: 29 Sep 2019 Bodyguard to Saudi king reportedly shot dead by friend + Saudi Arabia to open itself up to foreign tourists for first time Published: 27 Sep 2019 Saudi Arabia to open itself up to foreign tourists for first time + Saudi oil attack shines light on geopolitical truth and lies Published: 19 Sep 2019 Saudi oil attack shines light on geopolitical truth and lies + Saudi offers 'proof' of Iran's role in oil attack and urges US response Published: 18 Sep 2019 Saudi offers 'proof' of Iran's role in oil attack and urges US response (BUTTON) More more on this story Most popular * World * Europe * US * Americas * Asia * Australia * Middle East * Africa * Inequality * Cities * Global development * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle IFRAME: /email/form/footer/today-uk + Contact us + Complaints & corrections + SecureDrop + Work for us + Privacy policy + Cookie policy + Terms & conditions + Help + All topics + All writers + Digital newspaper archive + Facebook + Twitter + Advertise with us + Search UK jobs + Dating + Discount Codes Support The Guardian Available for everyone, funded by readers Contribute Subscribe Back to top © 2020 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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