The MoU was signed by Khaled Alharbi, senior vice president of operations at SAR, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Mohamed Khalil, managing director of Alstom Saudi Arabia, after a series of meetings where both parties discussed the increasingly demanding access to seamless, safe, integrated and sustainable public transport services.
The objective is to explore opportunities for the future of sustainable mobility in Saudi Arabia and actively work to develop and implement solutions related to railway infrastructure and capability aligned with Vision 2030 - a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil and diversify its economy.
With this MoU, Alstom has reaffirmed its aim to create global mobility champions rooted in Saudi Arabia and to establish a long-lasting partnership with Saudi Arabian Railways.
“This partnership is an opportunity for Alstom to grow our collaboration with Saudi Arabia Railways and work together to address the mobility needs of the Kingdom as they execute on Vision 2030. The focus on sustainable mobility solutions including the hydrogen technology will be a key enabler to the diversification and economic growth of the Kingdom,” said Mama Sougoufara, Alstom’s managing director for the MENAT region (Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey).
Alstom first arrived in Saudi Arabia in 1951, when it installed the first gas turbine. Since then, the global mobility leader has become a key contributor to the advancement of the region's transport infrastructure. To date, the company remains a leading supplier of sustainable mobility solutions in the Kingdom thanks to its investment in rail transport systems.
Recently, Saudi Arabia also announced its Net Zero by 2060 commitment, becoming one of the first countries in the region to do so. Sustainable mobility infrastructure such as railway transport will play a key role in realizing the country’s sustainability goals as it gears to creating a more sustainable future for its citizens and the region.
Elsewhere, Alstom has also announced that it will supply Italy’s leading national railway operator, Polo Mercitalia (Gruppo Ferrovie dello Stato), with 20 new generation Traxx DC3 electric locomotives, named E.494 in Italy. The delivery of these new units is scheduled to start early 2024 and will be completed during that year.
These are 20 additional units under the contract signed in December 2017 by Mercitalia Rail. Alstom has already delivered the 40 Traxx DC3 locomotives, which started commercial operation more than three years ago. The fleet’s locomotives will be included in the Full Maintenance program provided by Alstom Italia Service.