Riyadh Doha high-speed rail project has advanced following Saudi Arabia’s formal approval of the agreement with Qatar. The 785-kilometre electric railway will connect Riyadh and Doha through major Saudi cities. The project will also link King Salman International Airport with Hamad International Airport.
The Saudi Council of Ministers approved the agreement in February 2026. King Salman chaired the Cabinet session that approved the cross-border railway agreement.
The two countries originally signed the implementation agreement in December 2025. Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser and Qatar Transport Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Thani signed the agreement.
The approval now provides a stronger institutional basis for advancing the proposed railway. However, authorities have not publicly announced a construction contract or final project cost.
Riyadh Doha High-Speed Rail advances regional connectivity
The Riyadh Doha high-speed rail will stretch approximately 785 kilometers between the two Gulf capitals. The line will pass through Al-Hofuf and Dammam on the Saudi side.
The electric railway will support passenger services at speeds exceeding 300 kilometers per hour. Consequently, passengers could travel between Riyadh and Doha in approximately two hours.
The railway will also connect King Salman International Airport in Riyadh with Hamad International Airport in Doha. This airport connectivity could strengthen business, tourism and regional passenger mobility.
Furthermore, officials expect the project to serve more than 10 million passengers annually. The railway could also generate more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Qatar’s Ministry of Transport describes the railway as a strategic project supporting sustainable development. The ministry also links the project with stronger economic and developmental integration between both countries.
Riyadh Doha High-Speed Rail supports wider rail construction
The railway forms part of broader efforts to improve rail connectivity across the Gulf region. Saudi Arabia and Qatar resumed work on their proposed connection after restoring diplomatic relations.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar relaunched studies for the railway connection in 2022. Systra subsequently won a feasibility study for the proposed scheme in July 2022.
The latest agreement therefore builds upon several years of planning and technical assessment. It also revives a connection that faced delays during the Saudi-Qatar diplomatic dispute.
The project will create another major railway corridor from Riyadh toward the Gulf. Moreover, it will complement Saudi Arabia’s domestic railway investments and Qatar’s expanding transport infrastructure.
The development also connects directly with Saudi Arabia’s wider railway ambitions. The proposed route will intersect important transport and economic centers in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabia is simultaneously advancing the $7 billion Saudi Landbridge Riyadh Section. That project will deliver a 35-kilometre double-track railway across Riyadh.
The Riyadh section will connect Saudi Arabia’s North-South Railway with the existing Eastern Railway network. Therefore, it could strengthen the domestic rail connectivity supporting future regional corridors.
The relationship between both projects makes the Riyadh railway investment particularly significant. The wider Saudi network could provide stronger integration between domestic and international rail infrastructure.
The Riyadh Doha project currently lacks a publicly confirmed construction contractor. Authorities must therefore advance detailed design, procurement and other implementation arrangements before major construction begins.
Officials expect the railway to reach completion within six years from the agreement. However, the authorities have not publicly confirmed a detailed construction schedule.
The project could generate an estimated SR115 billion economic impact for the two countries. That figure equals approximately $30.7 billion based on the reported conversion.
The economic impact estimate represents projected contribution to combined GDP. It does not represent the railway’s construction cost.
Riyadh-Doha High-Speed Rail Line Factsheet
Project type: High-speed electric passenger railway.
Route: Connects the capitals of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Doha (Qatar).
Intermediate stops: Expected to include the Saudi cities of Al-Hofuf and Dammam.
Airport connectivity: Links King Salman International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh and Hamad International Airport (DOH) in Doha.
Length: approximately 785 kilometers (488 miles).
Speed: Trains designed to operate at speeds exceeding 300 km/h (186 mph).
Journey time: Expected to reduce travel time between Riyadh and Doha to approximately 2 hours.
Timeline: Scheduled for completion within six years (from the date of the agreement).
Expected capacity: Projected to serve over 10 million passengers per year.
Economic Impact: Expected to generate around SR 115 billion (approx. $30.7 billion USD) to the combined GDP of both nations.
Job creation: Estimated to create more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Timeline
The Riyadh-Doha high-speed rail is expected to be completed within six years. Furthermore, once the railway becomes operational, it is expected to reduce the journey between the two capitals to roughly two hours. The trains using the railway infrastructure are expected to be travelling at more than 300 kilometers per hour.
Length
The railway will stretch 785 kilometres. Also, the network is projected to carry more than 10 million passengers in a year. The officials have predicted a profound impact on the movement of people, tourism, and trade.
Other than just connecting Doha and Riyadh directly, the railway line will extend across three key Saudi cities. These cities are: Riyadh, Hofuf and Dammam, strengthening both domestic and cross-border connectivity.
The route will also connect two of the region’s most important airports: King Salman International Airport in Riyadh and Hamad International Airport in Doha. Therefore, this will offer travellers and investors a faster and more flexible access to major business and aviation hubs.
Number of Passenger Stations
The railway network will contain five primary passenger stations that will be constructed along the corridor. Each of the stations will be designed to deliver a modern, seamless travel experience combining comfort, speed and smart-transport technologies.
The high speed rail project will be a turning point in mobility between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, moving beyond conventional transport routes and raising overall quality of life by facilitating smoother movement, supporting tourism, and enabling major sporting and entertainment events.
Job Creation
The Riyadh-Doha high-speed rail project is expected to generate around 30,000 both direct and indirect jobs. These jobs will be in both Saudi Arabia and Qatar throughout the construction and operational phases. Therefore, this will make it one of the region’s most significant labour-market catalysts.
It is also set to boost the transport of light and medium goods, strengthen cross-border supply-chain logistics, and increase bilateral trade by cutting delivery times and reducing operational costs.
In a joint statement, the two governments stressed their commitment to enhancing supply-chain cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, and to expanding and diversifying trade exchanges, aligning closely with the objectives of the new railway initiative.
Similar Projects
Saudi Arabia is gearing up its railway infrastructure with projects such as the Qiddiya High-speed Rail Project. With such projects coming up, the sultanate will emerge as a leading railway transport hub in the Middle East.
Project Fact Sheet
Name: Riyadh-Doha High-Speed Electric Rail Project.
Type: High-speed electric passenger railway.
Countries: Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Route: Riyadh to Doha.
Total length: Approximately 785 kilometres.
Saudi route: Riyadh, Al-Hofuf and Dammam.
Qatar destination: Doha.
Saudi airport connection: King Salman International Airport.
Qatar airport connection: Hamad International Airport.
Operating speed: More than 300 kilometres per hour.
Expected journey time: Approximately two hours.
Estimated economic impact: Approximately $30.7 billion.
Expected annual passengers: More than 10 million.
Estimated employment: More than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Power system: Electric railway.
Expected completion: Six years from the agreement.
Agreement signing: December 8, 2025.
Saudi Cabinet approval: February 10, 2026.
Current status: Agreement approved; project development and implementation planning advancing.
Feasibility study consultant: Systra.
Strategic objective: Saudi-Qatar passenger connectivity and regional rail integration.
Project Team
Saudi government authority: Saudi Arabia Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services.
Qatar government authority: Qatar Ministry of Transport.
Saudi railway authority: Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR).
Qatar railway authority: Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail).
Saudi signatory: Saleh Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics Services.
Qatar signatory: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Transport.
Feasibility study consultant: Systra.
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