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Saudi Arabia Launches Ambitious Regional Transport Projects to Boost Connectivity

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics at the center of the attendees during the opening of the Saudi International Rail Exhibition and Conference (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics at the center of the attendees during the opening of the Saudi International Rail Exhibition and Conference (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
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Saudi Arabia Launches Ambitious Regional Transport Projects to Boost Connectivity

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics at the center of the attendees during the opening of the Saudi International Rail Exhibition and Conference (Asharq Al-Awsat). 
Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics at the center of the attendees during the opening of the Saudi International Rail Exhibition and Conference (Asharq Al-Awsat). 

The second edition of the Saudi International Rail Exhibition and Conference has emerged as a key platform for unveiling an ambitious roadmap for both domestic expansion and regional collaboration in the transport sector. Over two days, the event gathered government officials, industry leaders, and experts from around the world to exchange insights and showcase the latest innovations in railway technology.

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Saudi Railway Company (SAR), Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, announced that the Kingdom’s railway network now stretches over 6,000 kilometers, with further expansion planned to cover new regions in the coming years. He revealed ongoing cooperation with eight neighboring countries on joint projects to enhance land and economic connectivity, noting that the Gulf Railway Project stands as a prime example of such partnerships.

Al-Jasser emphasized that rail transport has become a cornerstone of national development, facilitating trade, expanding sustainable mobility, supporting the logistics sector, and improving road safety. He noted that SAR achieved record numbers last year, transporting more than 13 million passengers and over 28 million tons of freight and minerals across its four networks.

The minister highlighted a series of major agreements signed last year, including the purchase of 10 new trains and the launch of the region’s first luxury desert tourism service, the “Desert Train.” He also announced the Qiddiya High-Speed Rail project, a line linking King Salman International Airport, King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), and Qiddiya City. Operating at speeds of up to 250 km/h, the train will cut travel time to 30 minutes, strengthening Riyadh’s urban mobility and regional links.

SAR CEO Dr. Bashar bin Khalid AlMalik noted that the global rail industry is expanding rapidly, with G20 countries operating over 900,000 kilometers of track, including more than 33,000 kilometers of high-speed rail. Annual global investment in rail infrastructure and operations now exceeds two trillion riyals, he added, highlighting the importance of private-sector participation alongside governments.

Saudi Arabia’s rail network exceeds 5,500 kilometers - roughly the distance from Riyadh to Madrid - underlining its strategic location linking three continents. SAR’s operations have saved over 113 million liters of fuel and reduced millions of tons of emissions, supporting the Saudi Green Initiative. By 2035, the company aims to increase freight volumes fivefold and quadruple passenger numbers.

During the ministerial session, transport ministers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Syria stressed the strategic role of railways in driving economic growth and fostering regional integration. Al-Jasser said that 50% of the government’s transportation strategy budget is allocated to rail, and that cooperation with Gulf states aims to unify technical standards, infrastructure design, signaling systems, and operational safety. This has already led to the creation of the GCC Railway Authority.

Al-Jasser added that Saudi Arabia is working bilaterally and multilaterally with eight neighboring states to integrate networks, with projects like the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) showcasing successful international cooperation.

Bahraini Transport Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al-Khalifa underscored the importance of the 1986 land link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for his country’s economy. For his part, Jordanian Transport Minister Dr. Nidal Al-Qatamin praised Saudi Arabia’s rapid rail progress under Vision 2030, noting the opportunity to connect to the Kingdom’s network at the Jordanian border.

On the sidelines of the event, Meto Trajkovski, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group, stated that developing Gulf rail networks will not only benefit Saudi Arabia but also boost neighboring economies, positioning the region as a land bridge between Asia and Europe. He noted that rail lines have been critical to the Kingdom’s mining sector and that public–private partnerships will be essential to sustain growth in this capital-intensive industry.

 

 

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Business

Crude Shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port Near Maximum Levels

King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
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Crude Shipments from Saudi Arabia's Yanbu Port Near Maximum Levels

King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (SPA)
King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Daily crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu are close to maximum levels this week, according to data and industry sources.

Shipments from Yanbu reached 4.7 million barrels per day around July 13, up from 3.36 million bpd around July 10 and broadly in line with 4.6 million bpd around July 2, ⁠according to Signal Ocean data.

Loadings have averaged above four million bpd since June, compared with 973,000 bpd around the same period 2025, the data showed.

Kpler data also show daily loadings averaging around four million barrels in recent weeks.

Saudi Arabia has relied increasingly on Yanbu to export crude amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the US-Iran conflict.

Business

BP Sees Boost from Energy Prices in Second Quarter, Expects Lower Net Debt

An illuminated BP logo is seen at a petrol station in Gateshead, Britain September 23, 2021. (Reuters)
An illuminated BP logo is seen at a petrol station in Gateshead, Britain September 23, 2021. (Reuters)
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BP Sees Boost from Energy Prices in Second Quarter, Expects Lower Net Debt

An illuminated BP logo is seen at a petrol station in Gateshead, Britain September 23, 2021. (Reuters)
An illuminated BP logo is seen at a petrol station in Gateshead, Britain September 23, 2021. (Reuters)

BP expects its oil trading result to be slightly higher in the second quarter after an exceptionally strong first quarter, as it continues to profit from a surge in oil prices caused by the Iran war.

The British major flagged higher oil realizations said stronger prices were expected to add a $1.8 billion to $2.1 billion boost to earnings in its oil production and operations business compared with the first quarter.

In its gas and low carbon energy segment, realizations are expected to add a further $500 million to $700 million, it said on Tuesday.

Gas trading results are expected to be broadly unchanged from the previous quarter.

Global benchmark Brent crude prices hit multi-year highs and averaged around $97 per barrel during the April-to-June quarter, up from around $78 in the first quarter and about $67 a year earlier.

BP said refining margins averaged $29.6 per barrel, versus $16.9 in the first quarter.

The company expects upstream production to fall in the second quarter to between 2.17 million and 2.22 million barrels of oil equivalent per day from around 2.34 million boed in the previous three months, due in part to the effects of the crisis.

BP expects net debt to stand at $22 billion to $23 billion at end-June, down from $25.3 billion at the end of March, with a target to reduce this further to $14 billion to $18 billion by the end of next year.

The company made a $2.9 billion payment to redeem €2.5 billion of perpetual hybrid bonds, leaving it with a total of about $13 billion outstanding. It also paid $1.1 billion in Gulf of Mexico settlement liabilities.

Overall, BP expects net debt, hybrid bonds and Gulf of Mexico settlement liabilities to decrease by around a combined $6.3 billion to $7.3 billion from the previous quarter.

Exploration write-offs are seen totaling around $500 million in the second quarter, primarily related to the sale of its stake in the Bay du Nord project offshore Canada.

Business

China's Economy Grew at 4.3% Annual Pace in the 2nd Quarter, Slowest Since Late 2022

People walk in the Central Business District (CBD) area in Beijing, China, 15 July 2026. EPA/WU HAO
People walk in the Central Business District (CBD) area in Beijing, China, 15 July 2026. EPA/WU HAO
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China's Economy Grew at 4.3% Annual Pace in the 2nd Quarter, Slowest Since Late 2022

People walk in the Central Business District (CBD) area in Beijing, China, 15 July 2026. EPA/WU HAO
People walk in the Central Business District (CBD) area in Beijing, China, 15 July 2026. EPA/WU HAO

China’s economy slowed sharply to a 4.3% annualized pace of growth in the April-June quarter, the government said Wednesday, the weakest in over three years.

The official data fell short of forecasts and was far below the economy's strong 5% pace of growth in January-March, despite a surge in exports driven partly by the boom in artificial intelligence, and by robust global demand for Chinese electric vehicles.

China has largely shrugged off wider economic impacts from the Iran war as soaring energy prices pushed up global inflation. Exports rose 17.6% in the first half of the year from a year earlier, and 27% in June, according to customs data.

But domestic spending and investment have lagged, limiting the boost from export manufacturing for an economy that has struggled to regain momentum since parts of China were locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Associated Press reported.

“This was the slowest growth in any quarter since the lockdown-impacted fourth quarter of 2022,” said Lynn Song, chief economist for Greater China at ING Bank in a note.

Some economists say China’s economy is becoming increasingly unbalanced as heavy state support and private investments pour into frontier technologies like AI, computer chips and robotics while other areas such as lower-value manufacturing and jobs creating services industries languish.

Exports of high-tech products such as electric vehicles, computer chips and other electronic equipment have risen sharply, helped by hefty government support since China’s leaders have made development of advanced technologies a top priority.

China ran a record $1.2 trillion global trade surplus last year, drawing complaints from policymakers in other countries over their trade imbalances with the world’s second-largest economy. Many have pointed to those heavy state subsidies, which they say contribute to an oversupply of manufactured goods that end up being exported overseas.

As is true in many countries, the expansion of AI and robotics has also raised worries at home over whether businesses will create enough jobs to sustain growth in the longer term.

Chinese families have cut back on big purchases, their appetite for spending constrained by a prolonged property slump and uncertainties over jobs and wages.

As China remains reliant on its exports to sustain overall growth, “China’s growth model has become increasingly imbalanced,” said Eswar Prasad, a professor of economics and trade policy at Cornell University. Substantially increasing domestic demand will be tough as confidence remains weak, he added.

Mao Shengyong, deputy head of China's National Bureau of Statistics, told reporters that given the increasingly unstable and uncertain global situation, the imbalance between strong supply and weak demand “remains acute” at home.

As China focuses on high-tech manufacturing and pursues “higher-quality economic growth,” it will work to build a robust domestic market and offer support to keep employment stable, he said.

China’s economy is going through a “significant transition,” said Wei Li, Head of Multi-Asset Investments at BNP Paribas Securities (China).

For the whole of 2026, Chinese leaders have set a growth target of 4.5% to 5%, slower than last year’s 5%. Overall economic growth for the first half of the year was at 4.7%, the data released Wednesday showed.

The International Monetary Fund recently raised its forecast for China’s annual growth by 0.2 percentage point to 4.6%. It expects China’s economy to expand just 4.1% in 2027.