JEDDAH: The mega public transport project in the Makkah region on Tuesday received the first pilot trip of the high-speed Haramain train between Jeddah and Makkah, which departed from the Sulaymaniyah station in Jeddah.
Boarding the train for this first rail journey were Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, adviser to King Salman and governor of Makkah region, his deputy, Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Minister of Transport Nabil Al-Amoudi and several officials.
Al-Faisal congratulated King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the success of the first train trip between Jeddah and Makkah. He also congratulated the Islamic world, visitors to the holy city and the Saudi people on this occasion.
“Great achievements aren’t unusual in Saudi Arabia given the leadership’s keenness on serving Islam and Muslims, as well as developing this country, which has continued to prosper and advance since the day it was united,” he said.
Al-Faisal pointed out that development of this region has given it high status at a global level, indicating that “our leadership taught us to seek the best and improve all services, especially those targeting Muslims.”
For his part, Minister of Transport Nabil Al-Amoudi said: “Given the project’s magnitude and complexity, it faced several obstacles, but it will be completed in January 2018.”
He also pointed out that there are plans to connect the train to other areas in Makkah and connect the Jeddah Islamic Port to the rail network.
The rail network contains five stations, including the Makkah station, which plays a strategic role due to its location and its representation of this mega project’s completion, said the chairman of the Public Transport Authority, Rumaih bin Mohammed Al-Rumaih.
He added: “This 503,000-square-meter station, which can accommodate 19,500 passengers per hour, is located in Al-Rusaifa at the main entrance of the city of Makkah, less than 4km from the Holy Mosque of Makkah. It also houses a modern transport center that provides buses to and from the Holy Mosque and is ready to connect to the Makkah metro network.”
The Haramain Express Train is one of the largest transportation projects in the Middle East. It is a 450km electric rail track connecting Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, running at speeds of up to 300kph, and is set to carry 60 million passengers every year.
The official launch of the Haramain train will take place in 2018 and will include the launch of 35 trains, each of which with 417 seats.
High-speed Haramain train makes pilot trip
High-speed Haramain train makes pilot trip
Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 offers inspiration, innovation
- Sports, fitness, wellness in spotlight at Jeddah Superdome
- Gyms and fitness brands offer visitors a wide range of interactive experiences
JEDDAH: Jeddah Superdome welcomed more than 1,000 athletes of all ages on Wednesday for a heart-pounding session which placed sports, fitness and wellness in the spotlight.
The Jeddah Fit Expo 2026 is taking place until Jan. 31 and visitors on the first day were treated to a heady environment filled with high-intensity energy and in which cutting-edge fitness trends met the inspirational spirit of sportsmanship.
More than 300 brands and over 200 exhibitors engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions according to organizers, while jointly forging an event for the global sports and fitness industry.
Mohammed Al-Aidarous, from the event’s organizing committee, told Arab News the expo aimed to spread the culture of fitness as a daily lifestyle and sought to encourage best international expertise and practices, while empowering and developing local sports talents.
He said: “The sports and fitness industry is a rapidly growing sector globally. Especially in Saudi Arabia, there is an increasing focus on health and fitness among the general public. Consequently there is a growing demand for fitness-related products and services.”
The exhibition, which is in its fourth edition, has brought together suppliers of fitness equipment and sports and leisure products, along with representatives from nutrition and health sectors, wellness clinics, youth sports education, and artificial intelligence solution providers.
Many of the participants are introducing new products to meet changing market trends, leveraging the national fitness policies, deeply exploring market demand, and expanding their presence in the sports industry market, thereby providing users with more professional services.
Gyms and fitness brands at the event are offering visitors a wide range of interactive, educational and commercial opportunities designed to promote healthy lifestyles while showcasing the latest industry innovations.
Danya Aljamal, an event coordinator at GymNation, said: “We are here to show sports enthusiasts who we are and what we can do to make them change their lifestyle with sports. GymNation is about enjoying your time, having fun, challenging yourself and making the best form of your body.”
She added: “We will be offering visitors our famous Hyrox class. It is designed to help enhance your strength and explosive power through a combination of targeted, high-intensity exercises and I hope people enjoy it.”
AI is rapidly reshaping athletic training environments. The exhibition features platforms that analyze an athlete’s movement, track progress, and offer automated corrections.
Saudi entrepreneur Mohammed Kaki, founder and CEO of FitLife, an Al-powered health-tech startup delivering B2B personalized nutrition and wellness plans, said: “We are proud to share the FitLife platform and feel excited to take these insights and relationships to the next level during this three-day event.
“FitLife is an app developed to make people’s fitness journey much easier and more convenient. Our algorithms were developed to produce accurate programs with a full range of workouts and recipes designed to fit people’s daily schedule and preferences.
“Our objective at FitLife is to foster growth and revolutionize the way people perceive health and fitness.”
Kaki indicated that the startup was also aiming to support coaches and specialists in sports and health organizations through AI solutions.
Beyond the exhibition stands and workshops, bodybuilding, calisthenics, taekwondo and volleyball are among the activities taking place at Jeddah Superdome.
