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Saudi Arabia Railways Purchases 10 Next Generation Passenger Trains for Growing Network

Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Railways Purchases 10 Next Generation Passenger Trains for Growing Network

Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)
Officials are seen at the signing ceremony. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) signed a contract with Stadler, a Swiss rail infrastructure and train manufacturer, for the supply and maintenance of ten next-generation passenger trains for SAR's East railway network, alongside the option for SAR to order an additional ten units in the future.

As per the contract signed by SAR CEO Bashar AlMalik and Stadler President Peter Spuhler, the trains will meet the latest European and international standards while also being designed for the specific climate of Saudi Arabia to provide a comfortable and safe travel experience.

Each train will be able to carry around 340 passengers, with designated tracks for wheelchairs to serve people with mobility disabilities.

Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Board of Directors of SAR Saleh Al-Jasser attended the signing ceremony. He said these trains will double the annual capacity of the East Trains to over 3.8 million passengers annually and provide direct express service between Riyadh and Dammam to meet the growing demand for trips between the two main cities in the Kingdom.

AlMalik also said SAR is committed to achieving a comprehensive renaissance in the rail transport field in the Kingdom, adding that these modern trains will serve the entire operational scope of the East railway network by increasing seat capacity, the number of daily trips, and the annual capacity of the network, as these trains will cover the stations of Riyadh, Hofuf, Abqaiq and Dammam.

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Aramco Signs 34 Deals with Major US Companies

(FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
(FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
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Aramco Signs 34 Deals with Major US Companies

(FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
(FILES) This picture shows Aramco tower at the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)

Saudi Aramco said on Wednesday it had signed 34 preliminary deals with major US companies, potentially worth up to $90 billion in a push to deepen commercial ties with the United States on the back of President Donald Trump's visit to the Kingdom.

The announcement was made a day after Riyadh pledged $600 billion in US investments.

"The US is really a good place to put our investment," Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said on Tuesday at the US-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh.

Aramco said the agreements, struck through its Aramco Group Companies, aim to build on its longstanding ties with US companies, enhance shareholder value, and expand collaboration in energy and other strategic sectors.

A memorandum of understanding with tech heavyweight Nvidia aims to establish advanced industrial AI infrastructure, including an AI Hub, an engineering and robotics center, and workforce training programs.

Aramco also signed an MoU with ExxonMobil to evaluate a significant upgrade to their SAMREF refinery, with plans to expand it into an integrated petrochemical complex.

It also inked a non-binding agreement with Amazon Web Services to collaborate on digital transformation and lower-carbon initiatives, while an MoU with Qualcomm focuses on collaboration in enhancing industrial networks and AI capabilities.

"Our US-related activities have evolved over the decades, and now include multi-disciplinary R&D, the Motiva refinery in Port Arthur, start-up investments, potential collaborations in LNG, and ongoing procurement," Nasser said in a statement.

Aramco said on Tuesday it would invest $3.4 billion to expand the Motiva refinery in Texas.

Beyond energy, the state oil giant has become a key vehicle for industrial development, digital transformation, and foreign investment.

It expanded existing relationships with several high-profile US suppliers including SLB, Baker Hughes, GE Vernova and Honeywell.

On the financial services front, it has forged agreements with asset management giants PIMCO, State Street Corporation and Wellington.

It also signed a deal for short-term cash investments through a unified investment fund, named 'Fund of One', with financial heavyweights BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PIMCO.