RIYADH: The Haramain High Speed Railway between Makkah and Madinah will reopen from the end of this month.
The service was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Passengers will be able to book tickets online from Monday and trains will stop at Makkah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Haramain vice president Rayan Al-Harbi said the resumption of journeys between Makkah and Madinah comes after ensuring the train network was ready to operate according to the highest safety levels “in readiness to receive Umrah pilgrims and visitors.”
Al-Harbi said the railway was prepared for the upcoming Hajj season and that test journeys had been carried out during the suspension period to ensure the efficiency of train and station staff.
A new timetable for the network is due to be announced.
The Haramain, which travels at 300kph, opened in October 2018.
A fire in September 2019 caused extensive damage to the Al-Sulaymaniyah Jeddah station and led to a suspension of services for more than two months.
Saudi Arabia’s Haramain High Speed Railway to resume operations after COVID-19 suspension
https://arab.news/b6pj5
Saudi Arabia’s Haramain High Speed Railway to resume operations after COVID-19 suspension
- The service was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic
- Passengers will be able to book tickets online from Monday and trains will stop at Makkah, King Abdulaziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah
Crown prince speaks with regional, global leaders about Iranian aggression
- Calls came as several Gulf Arab states were targeted by Iranian missiles
- Also spoke with French president, Pakistani prime minister
RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke to several regional leaders on the phone on Saturday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The calls came as several Gulf Arab states were targeted by Iranian missiles after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the US and Israel that hit several cities in Iran in the early hours of Saturday.
The crown prince spoke with UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.
The crown prince affirmed the Kingdom’s full solidarity with, and support for, their nations and stressed “Saudi Arabia’s readiness to mobilize all its resources to assist them in responding to the brutal Iranian attacks they suffered, which undermine the region’s security and stability,” the SPA added.
He also received a call from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, SPA reported.
They reviewed the impact of the ongoing escalation, with the Egyptian leader affirming Egypt’s solidarity with the Kingdom and backing for the steps it has taken to defend its sovereignty and maintain regional stability.
Prince Mohammed also received a call from French President Emmanuel Macron, during which he reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Iranian rocket attacks targeting the Kingdom and neighboring states, affirming that all necessary measures are being taken to defend its territory and support sisterly countries in safeguarding their sovereignty and security.
In a separate call, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his country’s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for the measures it is taking to protect its sovereignty, security and stability in response to the Iranian attacks, SPA added.
