SAR sees higher passenger traffic on tourist, cultural boom: CEO

Logo of Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR)

Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) CEO Bashar AlMalik confirmed that the increase in the number of passengers by trains in the first quarter of 2023 was driven by several factors, with the Kingdom’s economic boom being the most important one.

In an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV, the CEO added that the strong activity in the tourism and cultural sectors led to increased passenger movement between cities.

These passengers were either domestic or tourists attending activities and events in the Kingdom, in addition to pilgrims and Umrah performers.

He ruled out any relationship between the increase in prices of airline tickets to higher railway passenger traffic, adding there has been a rise in aviation passenger numbers. However, this growth has been mainly due to the tremendous economic activity witnessed in the Kingdom, which is becoming a centre of attraction for investors and tourists, AlMalik said.

He indicated that the increase in the number of passengers during the first quarter of 2023 was expected and not exceptional, adding the numbers will rise quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year (YoY).

Last week, SAR said it transported 2.22 million passengers in the first quarter of 2023, a surge of 104% YoY, according to Argaam's data.