SAUDI Arabian Railways (SAR) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Italian State Railways (FS) to develop joint railway and mobility projects across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
The agreement, signed by SAR chief executive, Bashar Al Malik, and FS Group CEO, Stefano Antonio Donnarumma, establishes a framework for long-term cooperation in areas including rail infrastructure, sustainability, digitalisation, safety and technological innovation.
According to FS, the agreement forms part of a broader institutional dialogue between Italy and Saudi Arabia in the transport and infrastructure sectors and supports FS’ international expansion strategy.
The MoU envisages the development of joint projects throughout the MENA region, with a particular focus on railway and metro infrastructure, intermodal hubs, network resilience and transport decarbonisation.
SAR and FS will also cooperate on infrastructure engineering and digital transformation, employing technologies such as building information modelling (BIM), artificial intelligence and machine learning to support activities ranging from design and construction to maintenance and operational control.
Research, innovation and specialist training are also included within the agreement, with potential involvement from King Saud University in joint research and development programmes, technology transfer initiatives and skills development.
Additional areas of collaboration include operations and maintenance, freight and logistics, railway safety standards and certification. The partners will also examine the creation of railway testing capabilities in Saudi Arabia, potentially establishing a regional hub for rolling stock and systems validation.
A joint working group will be established to oversee implementation of the agreement.
