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‘Dream of the Desert’ Train to be Unveiled for First Time at FII9 in Riyadh

The “Dream of the Desert” is scheduled to begin its first journeys by the end of 2026. (SPA)
The “Dream of the Desert” is scheduled to begin its first journeys by the end of 2026. (SPA)
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‘Dream of the Desert’ Train to be Unveiled for First Time at FII9 in Riyadh

The “Dream of the Desert” is scheduled to begin its first journeys by the end of 2026. (SPA)
The “Dream of the Desert” is scheduled to begin its first journeys by the end of 2026. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Italian company Arsenale announced on Sunday the unveiling of one of the luxury “Dream of the Desert” train carriages for the first time during the ninth edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII9) Conference in Riyadh, taking place from October 27 to 30.

The event will bring together global leaders, major investors, and decision-makers, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience the distinctive concept set to redefine luxury rail travel in the region.

The “Dream of the Desert” is the Middle East’s first five-star luxury train, representing the culmination of a partnership between SAR and Arsenale, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and its affiliates, the Saudi Tourism Authority, and the Center for Development Authorities Support.

The design of the train integrates Saudi cultural and heritage elements, reflecting national identity through a blend of luxury, innovation, and authenticity.

During his visit to the exhibition site, Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and SAR Chairman Saleh Al-Jasser said that unveiling the first “Dream of the Desert” carriage during FII9 highlights the significant advancements in the railway transport sector and the development of world-class travel experiences.

He noted that the “Dream of the Desert” train is one of the key outcomes of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to introduce modern mobility options and tourism-oriented transport alternatives to enhance quality of life.

The project reflects growing foreign investment in the Kingdom’s transport and logistics ecosystem, involving leading global companies and investors, he added.

Al-Jasser praised the generous support extended by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to transport and logistics projects, emphasizing the sector’s developmental role in driving economic growth, achieving sustainability, and enabling national strategies in tourism, industry, mining, and trade across the Kingdom’s modern rail networks, in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The “Dream of the Desert” is scheduled to begin its first journeys by the end of 2026, covering more than 1,300 kilometers from Riyadh through the Northern Railway network and passing through some of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent natural and tourist destinations. The journeys will last one or two nights, allowing guests to enjoy a blend of exploration, culture, luxury, and authentic Saudi hospitality.

Combining opulence with discovery, the “Dream of the Desert” experience will offer curated excursions, diverse cultural activities, and personalized services, allowing travelers to enjoy an unforgettable journey that showcases the Kingdom’s natural beauty and cultural depth, celebrating the harmony between people, heritage, and the land in a modern, world-class setting.

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Varieties

Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Drops to Lowest Level Since 2019

(FILES) Smoke from illegal fires lit by farmers rises in Manaquiri, Amazonas state, on September 6, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP)
(FILES) Smoke from illegal fires lit by farmers rises in Manaquiri, Amazonas state, on September 6, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP)
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Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon Drops to Lowest Level Since 2019

(FILES) Smoke from illegal fires lit by farmers rises in Manaquiri, Amazonas state, on September 6, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP)
(FILES) Smoke from illegal fires lit by farmers rises in Manaquiri, Amazonas state, on September 6, 2023. (Photo by MICHAEL DANTAS / AFP)

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell last year to its lowest level since 2019, according to a report published Wednesday that will be seen as good news for leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

South America's biggest country lost 985,000 hectares (2.4 million acres) of native vegetation last year, down 20.6 percent from 2024, the MapBiomas monitoring network announced.

The figure is the lowest since the network began keeping records in 2019, AFP reported.

It notably does not include forest lost to fires, but after a record fire season in 2024, the country was relatively spared major infernos last year.

Lula, who is seeking a fourth term in October elections, has made the fight against deforestation a central tenet of his administration.

Preserving forest cover is essential to fighting climate warming as trees act as a natural carbon sink.

After four years of widespread logging under his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro, Lula has pledged to eradicate illegal deforestation altogether by 2030.

The reduction in deforestation was noted across Brazil's six major ecosystems.

"We are seeing an increase in enforcement actions and sanctions (...) which have a direct correlation with the drop in deforestation in all Brazilian biomes," Marcos Rosa, MapBiomas's technical coordinator, told AFP.

Even so, the rate of destruction remains breathtaking.

In the Amazon, the world's largest rainforest, where deforestation slowed by 23.5 percent, five trees are still felled every second.

The hardest-hit biome last year was once again the Cerrado, a vast, biodiverse savanna south of the Amazon.

It alone accounted for more than half of the deforestation.

MapBiomas -- a consortium of universities, NGOs and technology companies -- said agriculture accounted for 99 percent of vegetation loss.

Lula is keen to showcase his environmental achievements ahead of the election.

Last year, he hosted the COP30 climate summit in the Amazonian city of Belem.

He has however been criticized by environmentalists for his support of a massive oil exploration project near the mouth of the Amazon River.

Varieties

Putin Gifts 4 Amur Tigers to Kazakhstan Ahead of Visit

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with graduates of the "Time of Heroes" program, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / POOL / AFP)
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with graduates of the "Time of Heroes" program, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / POOL / AFP)
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Putin Gifts 4 Amur Tigers to Kazakhstan Ahead of Visit

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with graduates of the "Time of Heroes" program, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / POOL / AFP)
In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with graduates of the "Time of Heroes" program, at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 22, 2026. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / POOL / AFP)

Russia has handed Kazakhstan four Amur tigers, two of them cubs, to help the country restore its numbers of the animals, President Vladimir Putin said in an article issued ahead of his visit to the Central Asian nation this week.

Rich in energy resources and critical minerals, Kazakhstan shares a border with Russia and is a close ally of Moscow in a region where China and the ⁠United States are ⁠also expanding their influence.

The four animals captured in Russia's far eastern region of Khabarovsk were flown to Kazakhstan, Putin said on the Kremlin's website on Tuesday, and are soon to be released into the wild.

Putin ⁠is no stranger to using animals to advance diplomatic efforts.

In 2022, Russia sent 30 grey thoroughbred horses to North Korea, as the nations have boosted ties since Ukraine's invasion that year. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a keen horseman.

Kazakhstan, which is trying to restore the tiger population in Central Asia, sees the Amur tiger as a ⁠close ⁠relative of the extinct Caspian tiger. The Russian gesture boosts the country's tally of the animals previously sent by the Netherlands, Reuters reported.

On his visit, Putin will oversee the signing of a deal for a nuclear power project in Kazakhstan, which has no nuclear power generation now, and will discuss efforts to boost the transit of Russian oil to China through the country, the Kremlin has said.

Varieties

RFK Jr. Snatches Snakes in Viral Video, the Latest of his Many Animal Encounters

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, right, and Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division Colin McDonald listen during a press conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, right, and Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division Colin McDonald listen during a press conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)
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RFK Jr. Snatches Snakes in Viral Video, the Latest of his Many Animal Encounters

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, right, and Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division Colin McDonald listen during a press conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, right, and Assistant Attorney General for the Fraud Division Colin McDonald listen during a press conference Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Glen Stubbe)

A video of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrangling two snakes bare-handed captured the internet’s fascination Tuesday, the latest animal encounter the US health secretary has shared publicly that has sparked intrigue and in some cases concern.

Kennedy shared the clip of himself grabbing the tails of the non-venomous black racer snakes on his personal social media accounts, noting in the caption that he was removing them from the patio of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

An avid outdoorsman, Kennedy has posted numerous photos and videos over the years of himself interacting with wild animals, The Associated Press reported. He's also shared tales of such interactions, including admitting once planting a bear carcass in New York's Central Park as a prank.

Internet users reacted with joy, incredulity and outcry at Kennedy's latest clip, which shows the snakes biting in the direction of his fingers as Oz asks questions about the snakes.

Kennedy’s wife, actress Cheryl Hines, can be heard saying “Why?” and telling her husband to let them go.

Herpetologists said the species in the clip is largely harmless to humans, even if it bites. But they said people should be mindful of the stress that handling snakes can put on the creatures, and to avoid grabbing them by the tails as Kennedy does in the video, because it can cause injuries to their spines.

“That is not how I would handle the snakes, but I’m a trained professional,” said Bonnie Keller, a herpetologist and former board member of the Virginia Herpetological Society.

Sean McKnight, director of programs at the nonprofit Rattlesnake Conservancy, said he encourages people to minimize the duration that they’re handling any kind of wildlife, because they are “potentially stressing out the animals more than needed.”

Earlier this month, Kennedy posted a snapshot of himself holding a bird in his enclosed hand in what he wrote was the rescue of a starling at Dulles Airport in northern Virginia.

In 2024, while running for president, he posted a video of himself using a small net and a trowel to capture a rattlesnake in his California driveway. In that video, he cautiously secures the venomous snake in his bare hands and displays its fangs to the camera. McKnight said he doesn’t advise anybody to handle rattlesnakes like that, because there’s no way to restrain them safely with your hands.

Also in 2024, Kennedy generated criticism when he admitted to taking a bear carcass from the side of the road and placing it in Central Park as a prank in 2014. He said at the time that he had been picking up roadkill his “whole life” and once had a “freezer full of it” at home. His campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear, now a top adviser at the nation's health department, said roadkill was how Kennedy, a longtime falconer, fed his birds.