Saudi Arabia set to launch an ultra luxury train in 2026

The epitome of luxury train travel is about to shift east.

Step on board for a sparkling rail debut.

Few nations have the resources to reinvent themselves as a global tourist hotspot like Saudi Arabia. Now replete with six and seven star resorts, seamless transport infrastructure and a level of luxury that is usually only reserved for the one per cent, it has now cast its eye on a type of holiday experiencing a worldwide renaissance: the ultra schmick train.

And boy is the genre having a moment. For example, Belmond, the line behind the Orient Express, recently announced its first British outing, the Britannic Explorer. Closer to home, Journey Beyond is slated to launch a pair of luxury suites across the Ghan, the Indian Pacific and The Great Southern next year. Three nights on the Ghan in the Australis suite will set you back almost $12k. Per person.

The desert awaits.

Hold my non-alcoholic beer, said the Saudis. The Dream of the Desert - set to launch by the end of next year - will depart from the capital Riyadh on a 1300 kilometre itinerary to Al Qurayyat in the northern province of Al Jawf. Unfolding past the expansive windows and air conditioned cabins will be Al Qassim, Hail and Al Jouf, on the edge of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Nature Reserve. The entire set up is 40 cars and maximum of 82 passengers.

That’s what’s happening on the outside. On the inside, Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman has been commissioned to create both the 34 luxury suites - across 14 carriages - and the common areas. The latter will take their design cues from majis - the traditional reception areas of Saudi homes - with seats and couches resembling floor timber carvings and the geometric motifs that enrich Middle Eastern architecture.

Fluid forms in the common areas.

Traditional Saudi decor with the opulence turned up to 11 is the aesthetic with golden ceilings, mosaic-laced bars, banquettes in velvet that almost as rich as the people sitting on them - all in a palette drawn from the desert itself.  The rooms meanwhile will tip the ghutra to the art deco of rail travel’s first golden age with deep emerald accents and forest worth of timber panelling. The train itself is being manufactured by the Italian Arsenale Group - which is also working Orient Express on La Dolce Vita on half a dozen new Italian itineraries.

High end luxe in the cabins.

In the kitchen, guests can expect a rotating roster of Michelin-starred chefs knocking out local and international flavours and in case you need a visual break from the exquisite plating and astounding desert, the corridors will be laden with specially commissioned artworks showcasing Saudi culture.

This will be an opening to remember for 2026. 

Originally published as Saudi Arabia set to launch an ultra luxury train in 2026