Qiddiya High-Speed Rail Update
A New Step in Shaping Riyadh’s Future
Riyadh – BETH

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), in collaboration with the National Center for Privatization (NCP) and Qiddiya Investment Company (QIC), announced the official list of companies that submitted their interest to participate in the Qiddiya High-Speed Rail Project.
This follows the Expression of Interest (EOI) phase, which opened on 22 September 2025 and closed on 12 October 2025.

Companies Interested in the Project

A total of 145 companies have expressed interest, distributed across six main categories:

Developers and major contractors: 68 companies

Rolling stock and systems suppliers: 10 companies

Railway operators: 12 companies

Financial investors: 16 companies

Design and project management consultants: 23 companies

Others: 16 companies

This stage falls under the public-private partnership (PPP) model for implementing Phase One of the project.

From the Airport to Qiddiya in 30 Minutes

The high-speed rail aims to connect:

King Salman International Airport

King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)

Qiddiya City

The rail line will operate at speeds of up to 250 km/h, enabling the full journey to be completed in just 30 minutes.

The Qiddiya High-Speed Rail will form a strategic pillar of Riyadh’s new transportation network and will integrate seamlessly with the public transit system recently launched in the capital.

Project Significance

The initiative comes as part of ongoing efforts by:

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City

The National Center for Privatization

Qiddiya Investment Company

to forge strategic partnerships with the private sector, enhance urban mobility projects, improve quality of life for residents and visitors, and support sustainable urban growth in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030.

🟦 Analytical Comment – BETH

The Qiddiya High-Speed Rail is more than a transportation line; it is an urban intelligence corridor that redefines movement between three of Riyadh’s most vital hubs: the airport, KAFD, and Qiddiya.
The significant turnout of 145 companies signals a strong global appetite to participate in shaping the next generation of Saudi infrastructure.

Projects of this scale place Riyadh firmly among global cities built around speed, efficiency, and strategic use of time—the most valuable currency in modern urban life.