Italian luxury hospitality company, Arsenale Group, has struck a strategic agreement with Italian financial institution, SIMEST, for its first ultra-luxury train cruise in Saudi Arabia, dubbed ‘Dream of the Desert’. The venture marks the Group’s entry into the Middle East market.
The agreement will see SIMEST inject 15 million euros into the project, which is part of a growing economic collaboration between Italy and Saudi Arabia. “Dream of the Desert” represents one of the first projects aimed at enhancing this partnership, introducing a distinctive public-private model in the railway sector.
Originally slated to enter service in 2025, Dream of the Desert is a partnership between Arsensale and Saudi Arabia Railway that will span a 1,300 kilometre track. Late last year, Arsenale inked new Memorandum of Understanding partnerships with both Saudi Tourism Authority and the Tourism Development Fund for the development and global promotion of the new “rail cruise”.
Dream of the Desert comprises 14 carriage trains that will feature 33 luxury cabins (for 66 guests), operating between Riyadh and Qurayyat, passing through Al Qassim, and Hail, through to the Jordanian border. The first ultra-luxury train will offer one- and two-night itineraries departing from Riyadh to some of the Kingdom’s most iconic destinations, including AlUla.
There are a total of five itineraries, including The Northern Sands, A Taste of AlULa, Whispers of Jubbah, Ramadan Nights and Summer Mirage. View them here.
The first carriage was delivered in September 2025, and its operations are scheduled to commence in late 2026. Pre-bookings have now opened for Dream of the Desert.
“Dream of the Desert is a symbolic project for our Group and for the international railway industry. It promotes Italian SMEs and represents a pioneering example of public-private partnership in the luxury rail sector. The agreement signed with SIMEST and Saudi institutions confirms how collaboration between businesses and institutions can create lasting value and promote Italian excellence worldwide,” said Paolo Barletta, CEO of Arsenale.
Arsenale’s other luxury hospitality projects include the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, and other future rail projects in the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Egypt.
