The Deputy Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs, Habib Zein Al-Abideen, has revealed that studies are being conducted to link Jeddah to Makkah by train with stations along the Makkah-Jeddah highway. The train line, according to Al-Abideen, would run down the central island of the highway and would serve worshippers during peak periods such as Haj and Ramadan. “The station in Jeddah would be located near Prince Fawaz housing complex on the highway and would not require removal of any property,” Al-Abideen told an Okaz-organized forum held recently. “It would be of great benefit to the population of Jeddah and also bring in large revenues.” Al-Abideen, who is also the head of the Development Projects Central Administration, said that a royal decree had been issued to link up the Holy Sites Train with Makkah, and cited spending by his Ministry over the past 12 years of SR26 billion on various giant projects.
