MAKKAH: The Haramain high speed train will start operating gradually in six months, with the first trip departing from Makkah to Madinah via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic city in Rabigh, a 450-km-long trip.
The Haramain train will be full operational at the end of 2017.
Of the whole project, only 10 km are currently functional, including 7 km in Makkah and 3 km in Al-Harazat district, in Jeddah.
Haramain High Speed Rail Project Director Bassam bin Ahmed Ghulman said two more months are left until the completion of the expansion of Al-Shafaa Street, in central Makkah, which has two axes, one from the direction of the Third Ring Road, the other in Al-Rusaifah district.
During a meeting organized by the sub-council of the Saudi Umran Society in Makkah at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Tuesday, Ghulman said that the project used more than 1.9 million meters of telecommunication cables, about 4 million tons of gravel and more than 1,500 closed-circuit television (CCTV) for control and command.
He also said that "Jeddah station is the largest as a facility, but Al-Rusaifah station in Makkah is the most expensive in terms of contracting", adding that there is no final decision with regard to fares, which are under study.
Ghulman said Haramain High Speed Rail Project is the largest transportation project in the Middle East and one of the largest public transportation projects in the world, with an estimated 120-year lifespan for all expandable facilities.
It is estimated to cost about SR62 billion and involved erecting 15,000 power pylons and demolition of some high mountains.
The project also has more than 39 centers for electricity generators and about 147 Wi-Fi points of transmission and reception to serve passengers for free at bus and car stops at the stations.
The cost of the six central plants to generate power reached about SR2 billion.
Ghulman added that the Haramain trains are designed to travel at speeds of 350 km/h, but will usually run at 300 km/h.
"The train will transport 19,600 passengers per hour between Makkah and Jeddah at full capacity, and 3,800 passengers between Makkah and Madinah per hour,” said Ghulman.
Haramain train to be fully operational by end 2017
Haramain train to be fully operational by end 2017
‘Cake not hate’ campaign becomes ‘Dates not hate’ in Madinah
- Dan said he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality and that his family was warmly welcomed
- He said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam
LONDON: A British autistic and non-verbal boy who has been visiting UK mosques and distributing cakes to promote solidarity amid an increase in far-right support in the country has taken his message of love to Madinah.
Joshua Harris, or “The Joshie-Man” as the 12-year-old is known to his social media fans, has handed out hundreds of his baked goods to worshipers at mosques in major British cities over the last few months.
The “Cake not hate” campaign came about after an Islamophobic attack on a mosque in his home city of Peterborough in October 2025.
Harris and his father visited Masjid Darassalaam, the mosque that was targeted, with cakes that the boy had baked and distributed them to the congregation soon after the attack. Since then, Harris has visited dozens of mosques in the UK.
On a recent trip to the Middle East, he and his father visited Madinah. In a local twist that pays tribute to the holy city’s famous date varieties including ajwa and ambar, Harris handed out dates to people in the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque. The “Cake not hate” campaign became “Dates not hate” for Saudi Arabia.
“He was greeted really, really warmly. There were some really touching moments where people were kissing his hands and his head. It was really lovely,” his father, Dan Harris, said.
Dan, the founder of global charity Neurodiversity in Business, said being in Madinah exposed him to the true diversity of Islam.
“We met people from all around the world. It was amazing. It’s like the United Nations there, you get people from different countries and it just goes to show you that the Muslim community, or the Ummah more generally, is not a homogeneous group,” he said.
“We saw people from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and it was really interesting for us.”
Dan said his visit to Madinah, considered the second holiest city in Islam after Makkah for Muslims, was “profound and life-changing.”
He added: “I would say it’s my favourite city in the world due to the peace and tranquillity I felt there.”
Dan added that he was very impressed by Saudi hospitality: “Everywhere we went, people were taking down my number and insisting that we come for dinner, insisting they pick us up from the location. They were extremely attentive to Joshie as well, making sure his needs were met. We felt a great sense of welcome, something Saudi Arabia is known for.”
