Saudi Arabia’s new luxury train is set to launch in 2026
And the journey of ultra-luxe railways continues. This time not in Italy, but through Saudi Arabia’s majestic desert, where a new high-end train is preparing to welcome passengers from next year onward.
Italian rail glamour is heading to the Gulf as the Dream of the Desert gears up for departures at the end of 2026. Travelers will be able to choose from five itineraries, each revealing a different side of Saudi Arabia’s mysterious landscapes. Picture a boutique hotel moving through the desert: 14 carriages, 31 suites, two lavish presidential suites, and a mix of Italian elegant design and Saudi hospitality. Fine dining is part of the journey, and some itineraries even include nights spent in an exclusive desert camp beneath the stars.
Built in Italy and operated by Arsenale (the hospitality group behind La Dolce Vita Orient Express) the train marks a new chapter in Saudi Arabia’s tourism landscape. Arsenale signed a new partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority during Tourise in Riyadh last week, the annual summit where the Kingdom pitches its next phase of tourism development. The Italian Saudi collaboration is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 strategy, which has increasingly focused on high-end, experience-driven travel.
Its inaugural journey will run a 1,300-kilometer route from Riyadh to Al Qurayyat, crossing some of the country’s most remote desert terrain.
Pre-reservations are now open.
Ramadan Nights
Author: Lisa van Leer
Image courtesy: Arsenale S.p.A
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