RIYADH: The Haramain high-speed train network, which was hit by a huge fire, will resume operations within 30 days, Saudi Arabia's transport minister said Tuesday.
The service was halted on Sunday after a fire broke out at the station in Jeddah, injuring at least five people.
“Despite the damage caused by the fire, the Haramain train will resume its services within 30 days using the new King Abdulaziz Airport Terminal, as well as as well as stations in Makkah, King Abdullah Economic City and Medina, to serve Jeddah’s residents and visitors,” Nabeel Al-Amoudi, Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Railways Company (SAAR).
The minister praised the various sectors that worked together to contain the blaze in Jeddah's Sulaimaniyah district.
Al-Amoudi thanked the Saudi Civil Defense, the General Security Aviation Command, the Red Crescent, support teams from Saudi Aramco, the Air Force and Civil Aviation.
The minister toured the site of the blaze on Monday to assess the extent of the damage.
Passengers and workers were evacuated from the station as soon as the fire alarm systems went off at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.
The blaze, which was centered in the roof of the station, lasted for 15 hours.
The Haramain train to return to service in 30 days after Jeddah fire
The Haramain train to return to service in 30 days after Jeddah fire
- The service was halted on Sunday after a fire broke out at the station in Jeddah
- The transport minister praised the various sectors that worked together to contain the blaze
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
