Saudi Arabia will soon have the Middle East’s first super-luxury train. The Dream of the Desert train will start running next year, and its first pictures were released yesterday.
The train is a project between Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and an Italian luxury company, Arsenale S.p.A. The designer is Aline Asmar d’Amman, an architect who works in Paris and Beirut.
The train will be very luxurious and will include parts of Saudi culture in its design. The reception lounges will look like a majlis, the special room in Saudi homes where guests are welcomed. They will have beautiful geometric patterns and hand-carved wooden decorations.
The bedrooms will have an elegant style, with green sofas, wood-paneled walls, and Art Deco decorations. There will also be artworks and photographs of important Saudi places. On the outside, the train will be shiny chrome with violet details.
The train will have 34 suites in 14 carriages. A team of local and international chefs will prepare the food for the restaurant.
The train will travel from Riyadh, using Saudi Arabia Railways’ Northern Railway network. The Saudi Ministry of Culture will organize special cultural programs and unique tourism activities for passengers. However, details about these programs have not been announced yet.
The Dream of the Desert will take passengers on luxury train trips from Riyadh to Qurayyat, near the border with Jordan. The 1,300-kilometer journey will pass through desert landscapes and stop in the city of Hail. Some trips will last one night, while others will last two nights.
Paolo Barletta, the CEO of Arsenale Group, said the train will offer "a unique travel experience" that will be "fully immersive."
The Dream of the Desert will begin operating at the end of the third quarter of 2026. Before that, a similar train, the Dolce Vita Orient Express, will start running in Italy in April.
From CNN (edited)
