Luxury rail travel is in the midst of a renaissance, and Saudi Arabia is the latest to embrace it.
As the Middle Eastern country pushes to become one of the world’s top tourist destinations, designs have been unveiled for Dream of the Desert.
The first five-star rail service in the region, the train will travel a distance of around 780 miles through the Arabian Desert, from Riyadh to Al Qurayyat, near the northern border with Jordan.
However, concerns over the ambitious project have risen due to the country’s ‘dire’ human rights situation.
A spokesperson for Amnesty International Saudi Arabia told Metro the Kingdom’s ‘ever-expanding image-laundering efforts are being used to sweep their human rights violations under the rug’.
Projects like the luxury train service, it argues, allow the Kingdom to ‘continue their execution spree and crackdown on basic rights, such as freedom of expression, imprisoning and silencing people for their free speech’.
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A collaboration between Saudi Arabia Railways and Italian luxury brand Arsenale, Dream of the Desert will make its inaugural journey by the end of 2026 — and while fares are yet to be confirmed, there’s no doubt that this railway ride will take passengers to new heights of luxury.
The final designs for the carriages have been unveiled, offering a glimpse into the opulent interiors passengers will experience onboard.
Despite the train’s lavish offerings, Amnesty has warned that celebrities and influencers should avoid using their fame and status to become tools of Saudi Arabia’s ‘image-laundering strategy’.
Where in Saudi Arabia will Dream of the Desert travel to?
The train will start its two-day journey in the Saudi capital of Riyadh and continue on to Al Qurayyat, about 30km short of the Jordanian border.
The route will pass key historic sites, including Hail, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, once the capital of the Arabian desert, and and Al Jouf, on the edge of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Nature Reserve.
It is not clear if off-train excursions will take place, or how much these might cost.
What can Dream of the Desert train passengers expect?
Dream of the Desert’s 14 carriages will contain 34 luxury suites.
Designed by acclaimed Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman, the interiors are inspired by the surrounding desert landscapes and Islamic architecture, with earthy tones, golden textiles and intricate mosaics.
D’Amman, who has studios in Beirut and Paris, designed the reception areas to feel like majlis — Saudi sitting rooms — with hand-carved wood and geometric patterns.
Special art pieces showcasing the country’s heritage and culture have been commissioned to hang in the corridors.
The bedrooms contain art deco-style lamps, emerald sofas and dark wood-panelled walls.
In an Instagram post, the architect described the train as a ‘luxuriant journey of wonderment and cultural immersion in the pristine sceneries of the Saudi Arabian desert’.
Meanwhile, menus which will showcase local and international chefs are currently in the works.
Is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia?
Dream of the Desert is one of several contemporary transport initiatives in Saudi Arabia, as it seeks to become a major global tourist destination.
The country aims to attract 150 million visitors annually by 2030 as part of its Vision 2030 plan.
However, Amnesty International’s latest report into human rights in the country raises concerns over strict restrictions on freedom of speech, unfair trials, the treatment of women and girls and LGBTQ+ discrimination.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) also flags that ‘Islamic law is strictly enforced’, adding ‘there may be serious penalties for doing something that might not be illegal in the UK.’
Amnesty Saudi Arabia told Metro: ‘While there have been some reforms in Saudi Arabia over the past decade, such as granting women the right to drive in 2017, the overall human rights situation is dire.
‘Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the world’s top executioners, with 345 people put to death last year alone, despite promises by authorities to limit the use of the death penalty.
‘There is a zero-tolerance policy for criticism, and people are receiving some of the harshest prison sentences we have ever documented in Saudi Arabia simply for expressing their views. All human rights organisations have been shuttered, effectively eliminating independent civil society in the country.’
Earlier this month, Amnesty said, Leeds University PhD student Salma al Shehab was released from prison and reunited with her two young children after spending four years behind bars on terrorism-related charges for posting tweets in support of women’s rights and, at one point, faced a 34-year sentence for these social media posts.
Meanwhile, Manahel al-Otaibi, a 30-year-old woman serving an 11-year prison sentence for promoting women’s rights on social media, has been ‘forcibly disappeared’ for over two months.
Amnesty explains: ‘These are not isolated cases. Most human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, independent journalists, writers, and activists in Saudi Arabia have been arbitrarily detained for their work or expression.
‘Many face prolonged unfair trials or, even after serving their sentences, are subjected to travel bans and other arbitrary restrictions that prevent them from engaging in peaceful activism.’
Amnesty International is also aware of cases where foreign nationals have been detained in Saudi Arabia based on social media posts critical of Saudi authorities – even for posts published before they arrived in the country.
The organisation explained: ‘Dutch citizen Fahd Ramadhan was arrested on November 20, 2023, just two days after arriving in Saudi Arabia from the Netherlands and continues to be detained without charge or trial.
‘He later told Dutch embassy officials in Riyadh that he believed his detention was linked to online expressions of sympathy toward a critic of the Saudi royal family. His family has stated that in May, interrogators asked him to sign a document referencing four of his tweets.’
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Saudi Arabia also criminalises same-sex sexual activity and the gender expression of trans people. Sentences include a maximum penalty of death.
Although the Saudi Tourism Authority updated its website last year to state that LGBT visitors are ‘welcome’, the Human Dignity Trust says there is evidence of the law being enforced in recent years and that LGBT people are regularly subjected to discrimination and violence.
The country has also faced scrutiny as the destination of the 2034 World Cup. Saudi has had a strict ban on alcohol since 1952, and tourists caught breaking the law face prison sentences, hefty fines, public flogging and deportation.
In addition to human rights concerns, The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to parts of Saudi Arabia, citing safety risks on the border with Yemen.
Europe's 'rail renaissance'
Not too long ago, rail travel was seen as a thing of the past, overshadowed by the rise of low-cost airlines which offered cheaper and faster journeys.
However, in an unexpected twist, trains have made a major comeback. In fact, the ‘rail renaissance’ is set to be one of the biggest travel trends for 2025, as tourists swap cramped plane seats for comfort and scenic vistas.
It’s not just a slower and more immersive way to travel, it’s an eco-friendly alternative for the environmentally conscious.
Here is just some of the headlines around the train revival that Metro readers have been loving this month:
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