MAKKAH — The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) on Monday signed an agreement with the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) aiming at supporting the service delivery, maintenance and operations at the Holy Sites’ Train with the participation of the Makkah Region Development Authority and the Ministry of Finance.

Under the five-year agreement, SAR will be handling the delivery of services and maintenance works in addition to operating the Holy Sites’ Train and carrying out the crowd and pilgrimage control and security.

As per the agreement, SAR will also manage the train’s assets and facilities, including stations, equipment and operating systems, among others.

Abdulrahman Addas, CEO of RCMC, explained that the agreement came in implementation of the Royal directives to upgrade the services extended to pilgrims and improve the efficiency of operations at the facilities in the Holy Sites.

He added that the agreement is also in line with the commission’s development strategy being implemented in partnerships with Kidana Development Company, which is carrying out a large-scale development project to the Holy Sites in cooperation with the private sector and non-profit organizations.

On his part, SAR CEO Bashar Al-Malik expressed gratitude for the leadership’s selection of the company to contribute to the pilgrims services development endeavor, vowing continued cooperation and coordination with RCMC towards achieving that goal. — SPA