The 450km-long Mecca-Medina High-speed Railway, was built by China Railway 18th Bureau Group. It crosses the desert and links the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Designed with a maximum speed of 360 km/h, it is not only the first double-track electrified high-speed railway in Saudi Arabia, but also the world's first desert high-speed railway to have Chinese companies involved in its construction. The high-speed railway has brought a new experience of traveling on land in Saudi Arabia. It has changed the appearance of the cities and boosted economic development in locations along the route.