The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) in collaboration with Qiddiya Investment Company and the National Centre for Privatisation and PPP, has invited firms to bid for the Qiddiya High-Speed Rail project. This high-speed rail project is billed as a cornerstone of the capital’s future transport system.
Also, in a statement made in its X account, the authority made an announcement of the launch of the expression of interest phase for the high speed rail project. Furthermore, this project is designed to operate the high speed trains at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour.
Project Factsheet
Objective: To provide a fast and efficient transport link between key destinations in Riyadh. This will enhance urban mobility and facilitating access to Qiddiya City. It is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project.
Speed: The trains are designed to operate at speeds of up to 250 km/h.
Travel time: The high-speed rail will connect its main destinations in less than 30 minutes.
Route and stations:
Route: The rail line will connect three major landmarks:
- King Salman International Airport (KSIA)
- King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)
- Qiddiya City
Integration: The high-speed rail will integrate with the existing Riyadh Public Transport (RPT) network.
Timeline:
- Expression of Interest (EOI): The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), in partnership with the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP) and Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), launched the EOI phase for the project on September 22, 2025.
- Application deadline: Specialized companies and investors were invited to submit their applications by October 12, 2025.
- Overall project: The Qiddiya giga-project itself, which this rail line is part of, is being developed in phases. Also, while some facilities were expected to open in 2023, the full completion and expansion are planned for 2026 and beyond.
Additionally, the high-speed rail line will link King Salman International Airport, King Abdullah Financial District and the planned Qiddiya City. This will cut travel time between them to about 30 minutes.
Significance of the Project
Additionally, officials said the project is intended to serve as a backbone of Riyadh’s multimodal system, integrating with the newly launched Riyadh Public Transport network.
Also, the rail initiative is part of a broader strategy to leverage public-private partnerships to expand sustainable mobility, improve residents’ quality of life and support Riyadh’s rapid urban expansion in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development agenda.
Lastly, specialised companies and investors have until October 12, 2025, to submit expressions of interest to [email protected]. This is according to RCRC’s announcement.
Saudi Arabia is emerging as a railway infrastructure hub globally. The country also boasts the development of the world’s first driverless train network, the Riyadh Metro.
