Ego-mad Saudis unveil plan for 1,300km ‘luxury train cruise’ dubbed ‘Dream of the Desert’ in latest £43million project

SAUDIA Arabia has revealed its latest ambitious plan for a luxury train cruise costing £43million as it attempts to become the “centre of the world”.

The Middle Eastern nation’s pretentious skyscrapers, mega-cities and flying cars are all part of trillion-dollar initiatives designed to represent Saudi superiority.

Arsenale S.P.A./Saudi Arabia Railways

Saudi Arabia has introduced its first high-speed luxury train[/caption]

Arsenale S.P.A./Saudi Arabia Railways

The 800-mile-long route will stretch across the most stunning desert landscapes in the country[/caption]

Arsenale S.P.A./Saudi Arabia Railways

Dubbed ‘Dream of Dessert’, the train will be the most luxurious in the entire Middle East[/caption]

Saudi Arabia officially opened its doors to foreign tourists in 2019 – and has been going all-out to lure international visitors in a desperate bid to grab the centre spot on the world stage.

Through massive investments as part of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the nation has been unveiling wildly ambitious projects funded by oil billions at an unprecedented rate.

Now the country is launching the first luxury train to be used in the Saudi Kingdom after striking a $53.33 million partnership with Italian hospitality company Arsenale Group.

Dubbed “Dream of the Dessert”, the new train will offer “luxury train cruise” journeys from the capital city of Riyadh to Qurayyat, which is situated close to the northern border with Jordan, the state media reports.

The 800-mile-long route will stretch across the most stunning desert landscapes in the country, passing through the city of Hail.

A press release issued by the Saudi government described the design of the train will be inspired by “Saudi style and tradition”.

Passengers will be able to book one or two-night trips, with a maximum capacity of 82 passengers.

Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale said: “The initial production phases of the Dream of the Desert carriages in Italy have recently commenced, and we can’t wait for the debut of our first train in the kingdom in the coming years,” Barletta said in an official statement.”

Carrying trains at speeds of up to 186 mph, the rail network is expected to eventually stretch all the way across the Middle Eastern kingdom.

Enhancements are also being made to existing lines in the country’s northwest, with more high-speed services to come.

In line with the megalomania vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi has been creating mega projects worth unfathomable amounts of money.

The Middle Eastern nation is set to spend more than $175billion every year on mega projects between 2025 and 2028 – with about $1.3trillion of major projects in the works.

But beneath the glitzy facade lies a story of threats, forced evictions and bloodshed.

Many projects have faced fierce criticism over human rights abuses – including the $500billion Neom project where tribes were shoved out of their homeland, imprisoned or executed.

At least 20,000 members of the Huwaitat tribe face eviction, with no information about where they will live in the future.

Authorities in the port city of Jeddah also demolished many houses to implement Saudi’s development plans – with thousands of locals evicted illegally.

One campaigner claimed: “Neom is built on Saudi blood.”

Jeed Basyouni, Middle East director of the human rights organisation Reprieve, told DW: “We have seen, time and again, that anyone who disagrees with the crown prince, or gets in his way, risks being sentenced to jail or to death.”

In 2022, Saudi Arabia sentenced three tribesmen to death for refusing to leave the desert site of the futuristic supercity Neom.

The trio from the Howeitat tribe had protested against their forcible eviction from the northern Tabuk province to make way for the ultra-modern metropolis.

Arsenale S.P.A./Saudi Arabia Railways

The luxury train will offer journeys from the capital city of Riyadh to Qurayyat[/caption]