Inside Saudi Arabia’s First Luxury Train ‘Dream of the Desert’

A joint venture between Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Arsenale, the luxury hospitality group behind Orient Express La Dolce Vita and the Orient Express Hotels, Saudi Arabia’s eagerly-awaited ‘Dream of the Desert’ will be the region’s very first five-star luxury train experience. 

In this SceneTraveller exclusive, we sit down with the Italian CEO of Arsenale, Paolo Barletta, as he unveils the story behind the luxury train’s anticipated arrival in the Kingdom. 

Set to launch in the fall of 2026, ‘Dream of the Desert’ will take travellers on an enchanting 1,300-kilometer excursion, starting in the capital city of Riyadh and culminating near the Jordanian border in Al Qurayyat. 

Guests aboard this “cruise on rails” will be invited to immerse themselves in the pristine desertscape of the Kingdom through curated cultural programmes and yet-to-be-revealed travel itineraries that will include stopovers in destinations like Al Qassim, Hail, and Al Jouf. 

Across the train’s 13 carriages and 34 suites, local and global artists will showcase contemporary artworks that weave in elements from iconic destinations such as AlUla, as well as all the corners of the Kingdom that have yet to get their time in the spotlight. 

From the traditional majlis in the reception area to the historical photographs in the train’s corridors—’Dream of the Desert’ is set to become a true snapshot of Saudi, with a generous sprinkle of the sumptuousness Italian hospitality is famed for. 

As for Arsenale’s next regional venture, the group is launching a dream railway experience by the name of ‘Land of the Pharaohs’, which will take travellers on a breathtakingly cultural voyage from Cairo all the way to Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simb