Haramain High-Speed Rail to Resume Operations End of March

Haramain high-speed railway operations were during over the pandemic. (SPA)
Haramain high-speed railway operations were during over the pandemic. (SPA)
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Haramain High-Speed Rail to Resume Operations End of March

Haramain high-speed railway operations were during over the pandemic. (SPA)
Haramain high-speed railway operations were during over the pandemic. (SPA)

Haramain High-Speed Rail announced that it will resume operations as of Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

Passengers can start booking tickets from and to Makkah, Madinah, King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, and King Abdullah Economic City stations, as of Monday, March 15.

The railway services were suspended on March 21, 2020 as part of the Saudi government's efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic.

Notably, the Haramain service is one of the biggest public transport projects in the Middle East, a 450 kilometer two-way electric train linking Makkah and Madinah, with extensions to Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City.

The project will transport 60 million passengers per year on 35 trains, with a seating capacity of 417 per train and traveling at a speed of 300 kph.



Saudi Arabia: Mawani Reports Container Throughput Rises at Ports in June

Jeddah Islamic Seaport. Photo: Mawani
Jeddah Islamic Seaport. Photo: Mawani
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Saudi Arabia: Mawani Reports Container Throughput Rises at Ports in June

Jeddah Islamic Seaport. Photo: Mawani
Jeddah Islamic Seaport. Photo: Mawani

The ports supervised by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) recorded an 18.66% increase in handled containers in June, reaching 696,839 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared to 587,261 TEUs during the same month in 2024.

Transshipment containers also recorded an increase of 35.94%, reaching 164,999 containers, compared to 121,377 containers during the same month last year.

Export containers posted a strong increase of 17.79%, reaching 268,587 TEUs, compared to 228,031 TEUs during the same month of the previous year. Import containers grew by 10.68%, totaling 263,253 TEUs, compared to 237,853 TEUs during June 2024.

Total cargo throughput — general cargo, solid bulk, and liquid bulk — rose by 1.74%, reaching 21,464,070 tons, compared to 21,096,774 tons during the same month last year. General cargo reached 922,351 tons, solid bulk cargo 4,229,665 tons, and liquid bulk cargo 16,312,054 tons. The ports also received 959,188 head of livestock, marking a 47.35% decrease compared to 1,821,863 head during the same month last year.

Maritime traffic rose by 7.56%, with 1,039 vessels handled, compared to 966 vessels during the same month last year. Passenger traffic increased by 42.34%, reaching 78,698 travelers, compared to 55,289 during the same month of 2024. However, vehicle handling declined by 25.42%, totaling 75,437 vehicles, compared to 101,146 vehicles during the same month of the previous year.

Finally, in May 2025, Mawani reported a 13% increase in handled container volumes, reaching 720,684 TEUs, compared to 639,736 TEUs in June 2024.