Renfe, as the main partner of the Spanish-Saudi consortium Al Shoula, is leading one of the most emblematic railway projects in the world: The construction, operation and maintenance of the first high-speed line in the Middle East.
Since 2018, Renfe has been responsible for managing the end-to-end operation of the railway network, with record figures of use throughout the historical data. The consortium is made up of 12 Spanish and 2 Saudi companies, which have made this ambitious project a reality by connecting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
The name "Haramain" literally means "the two holy places", in reference to Masjid al-Haram (Mecca) and Masjid al-Nabawi (Medina), linking two key destinations of Islamic pilgrimage.
Renfe has made a commitment to training and developing Saudi talent. Currently, all areas of the operation are covered by local staff, integrated into key departments:
RENFE adapt its services to many different passenger profiles, of international origin and for constantly changing profiles. Currently, 60.06 % of travellers are Saudi citizens, followed by 21.68 % expats from Arab countries (such as Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine), 7.44 % Asian expats (India, the Philippines, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and 10.82 % of other nationalities.
This profile changes during high-demand periods, such as Ramadan and Hajj, when there is a large influx of pilgrims from all over the world, significantly increasing the number of international travellers.
The operational model at stations and onboard trains is carefully designed to respond to the country's cultural and social needs, with procedures, spaces and services adapted to respond the needs of to local customs, always with a priority on safety, operational efficiency and passenger satisfaction.
On board, the trains have two comfort classes: Economy and Business. Business travellers enjoy an exclusive and flexible experience from the start of the trip, including:
In addition, Renfe has developed a whole methodology and systematic approach to operate efficiently according to the country's weather conditions. In this sense, specific technical measures have been implemented for the technical supervision of the service, a specific methodology for resolving incidents to minimise their impact and specific passenger management procedures to improve comfort and efficiency in the use of resources.
During the month of Ramadan in 2025, Renfe KSA has continued to reach significant operational milestones. A total of 3,948 commercial services, with an average of 110 daily services, and up to 132 services on peak demand days, representing an average increase in the service levels of 20.21% when compared to the same period of the previous year. During that period, the fleet covered a total distance of 1,170,781 km, carrying 1,356,793 passengers. On the busiest day, 49,231 people trusted us for their journeys. Likewise, the line was operated continuously for periods of more than 24 hours in periods of high demand, which required the implementation of a special operational plan. In addition, an average punctuality of more than 98.66% was achieved, consolidating RENFE's commitment and that of the group of Spanish companies participating in the operations to service efficiency and quality.
In the Hajj season of 2025, Renfe KSA once again demonstrated its professionalism and operational capacity, improving results year after year. 2,166 commercial services were operated, covering 682,808 km and transporting 502,107 passengers, representing an average increase in the service level of 20.20% when compared with the same period of the previous year. No service cancellations were recorded and an average punctuality of 97.83% was achieved, reflecting the joint effort of our teams and the reliability of the railway system.