Saudi Railway Company (SAR) wants to localize expertise in operating the al-Mashaer Train, aiming to run it entirely with trained national units by 2026.
The Mashaer Train is one of the most important transportation pillars in the Holy Sites, which is being developed continuously to promote the service provided to the pilgrims.
The project seeks to achieve the goal of Vision 2030 by increasing its capacity to five million pilgrims.
The Train was on hiatus for two years due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAR disclosed that the Mashaer train project provided over 7,500 seasonal jobs in crowd control at the train stations.
Saudi Railways began its first operation of the Mashaer Rail after signing an agreement with the Royal Commission for the Holy City of Makkah and the Holy Sites in March 2021.
Under the agreement, SAR is required to operate and maintain the Mashaer Rail for five years. It must also manage and control the crowds and security guards and handle the assets, including stations, facilities, equipment, operating systems, and other related equipment.
SAR identified the necessary needs for the project, prioritizing projects in preparation for the operation of the Hajj season.
It implemented several projects to renew many systems, including signaling systems, wireless communication systems, visual communications, sidewalk doors, the waterproofing system for roofs, and the renewal of elevators and escalators.
SAR indicated that it began preparing for this year’s Hajj season and completed all routine and maintenance work in addition to several improvement projects necessary before the start of operations.
It explained that operations are divided into three primary stages: the pre-operational stage, the experimental operation stage, which includes four simulations of the Hajj, and the actual Hajj season.
The Train has nine stations, including Arafat, Muzdalifa, and Mina. It connects the southeast of Arafat and the southwest of Mina via the Muzdalifah with a track of 20 km in high structures on poles in the middle islands of the roads.
The Chinese Railway Construction Corporation implemented the project at a total cost of SR6.650 billion. It was launched in November 2010.
The project consists of 17 trains, including 204 cars, each accommodating 300 passengers, and two vehicles, front and rear.
The length of the track is about 18.1 km, with a capacity of 72,000 pilgrims per hour.
The project includes nine stations elevated from the ground with a length of 300 meters for each station, and the train platforms are accessed by ramps, elevators, regular and electrical stairs, and automatic gates separating the Train from loading areas and waiting areas.
Saudi FM Receives French President's Adviser, Holds Phone Call with Portuguese Counterparthttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5283127-saudi-fm-receives-french-presidents-adviser-holds-phone-call-portuguese-counterpart
Saudi FM Receives French President's Adviser, Holds Phone Call with Portuguese Counterpart
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received Dora Cattuti, the Adviser to the French President for the Middle East and North Africa, in Riyadh on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The two officials reviewed bilateral relations between their countries, regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
The Saudi FM also held a phone call with Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel.
During the call, Prince Faisal congratulated Rangel on Portugal's election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.
He expressed his aspiration to strengthen coordination and cooperation between the two countries in a manner that contributes to regional and international security and stability.
The two ministers also discussed regional developments and issues of mutual interest.
Saudi Crown Prince Unable to Attend G7 Summit Due to Prior Commitmentshttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5283122-saudi-crown-prince-unable-attend-g7-summit-due-prior-commitments
Saudi Crown Prince Unable to Attend G7 Summit Due to Prior Commitments
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sent a message on Thursday to France’s President Emmanuel Macron apologizing for his inability to attend the Group of Seven summit gathering citing prior commitments.
In his letter, the Crown Prince thanked Macron for the invitation to participate in the June 15–17 G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, on the shore of Lake Geneva.
Prince Mohammed said he would be unable to attend because of prior commitments, reaffirming the strength of bilateral strategic relations between the two countries and extending his best wishes for a successful summit.
Lebanon’s Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Decision on Exports Came after Beirut Met Standardshttps://english.aawsat.com/gulf/5282994-lebanon%E2%80%99s-ambassador-asharq-al-awsat-saudi-decision-exports-came-after-beirut-met
Lebanon’s Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Saudi Decision on Exports Came after Beirut Met Standards
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Nov. 3, 2025 (SPA)
Lebanon’s ambassador to Riyadh said Saudi Arabia’s decision to resume imports from Lebanon came after Beirut met the required standards to ensure the goods posed no risk.
The diplomat said the fight against drugs had involved intensive work and high-level security and political coordination between the two countries.
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday ordered the resumption of Lebanese exports to the Kingdom at the request of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
The move followed what were described as positive steps by Lebanon’s government to rebuild state institutions, work by specialist teams over the past year, Beirut’s cooperation and the required pledges it had made.
In a phone interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday, Ambassador Ali Karanouh welcomed the Crown Prince’s decision, saying it reflected “the depth of the brotherly and historic relations between the two countries, and the Saudi leadership’s keenness to support Lebanon, its institutions, economy, and people, especially in these difficult circumstances.”
‘A lifeline’
Karanouh said Lebanon was going through a period in which it needed “a lifeline,” adding that the step “is not surprising from Saudi Arabia, which has always stood by Lebanon.”
He cited Riyadh’s role in the Taif Agreement that ended Lebanon’s civil war, as well as its support during reconstruction and recovery.
The ambassador said Lebanese people were grateful for the decision, which he said would benefit agriculture, industry, trade, and services, and help Lebanon regain access to one of the most important Arab and Gulf markets at a time when it badly needs support.
He said the decision was the result of efforts that began with Aoun’s election and the formation of Salam’s government.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Makkah on March 30, 2025. SPA
Intensive security coordination on drugs
Karanouh said the new Lebanese government “showed from the first day its determination to return Lebanon to its natural place among its Arab brothers, after a period of distance caused by political choices that were not in its interest.”
He said the government had repaired relations with Arab states, especially Gulf countries, on the basis that Lebanon is an integral part of its Arab surroundings.
He said Beirut was determined from the start not to allow Lebanon to be used as a platform to harm Arab countries. The anti-drug file, he added, had seen intensive work and security and political coordination at the highest levels between Lebanese and Saudi authorities.
Karanouh said Saudi authorities had appreciated Lebanon’s efforts, including tighter controls at border crossings, airports and ports.
Those efforts, he said, continued for about 18 months and helped restore confidence in Lebanon and its institutions, turning the page on a period that had damaged the country’s reputation and foreign relations.
Lebanon, he said, was now on the right path.
Karanouh said the decision to resume Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia was a major step that would benefit Lebanon’s economy and economic cooperation between the two countries. He said it came after Lebanon met the required standards, ensuring Lebanese exports posed no danger to brotherly countries.
The ambassador said Lebanese exporters were ready to enter the Saudi market and that the remaining technical and procedural issues were minor and could be resolved easily.
He said the Saudi decision would push bilateral ties into a broader phase, whether through the signing and activation of partnership agreements or through the Saudi-Lebanese Business Council, whose formation was completed months ago.
He expressed hope that the move would be followed by the return of Saudi flights and Saudi tourism to Lebanon when conditions allow.
Broad welcome in Lebanon
The Crown Prince’s decision was widely welcomed across Lebanon, nearly five years after Saudi Arabia halted all Lebanese imports, citing at the time “the importance of taking all necessary measures to protect the security of the Kingdom and its people.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan conveyed the Crown Prince’s directive in a phone call with Salam on Wednesday. He affirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Lebanon’s stability, sovereignty over all its territory and the well-being of its people, as well as Riyadh’s confidence that Lebanon would take all necessary measures to ensure it is not used as a platform to harm its brothers.
Aoun expressed deep gratitude to Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying the decision was “a sincere expression of the depth of Arab brotherhood that binds the two brotherly countries, and an embodiment of the wise Saudi leadership’s keenness to support Lebanon and its people during the phase of recovery and revival it is undergoing.”
Aoun said: “This kind step will make a tangible contribution to reviving the national economy and supporting broad segments of Lebanese producers and exporters.”
He added that the entire Lebanese people appreciates the decision, and “views it as a gesture that strengthens the path of Lebanese-Saudi relations rooted in the bonds of history and shared destiny.”
Salam said the decision to lift the ban on Lebanese exports reflected the depth of the brotherly and historic ties between the two countries. He said it embodied Saudi confidence in Lebanon and a shared desire to strengthen economic and trade cooperation.
Salam said the move was an important step that would support Lebanon’s economy, open new opportunities for Lebanese producers and exporters, and help promote growth and stability.
He said Lebanon looked forward to continued work and coordination with Saudi Arabia to strengthen cooperation and partnership in various fields for the benefit and prosperity of both countries.
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