Saudi Civil Defense fully controls fire at Haramain high-speed rail station
September 30, 2019, 10:30 am

Saudi Civil Defense fully controls fire at Haramain high-speed rail station

A fire broke out in the Haramain train station in Jeddah, with no immediate reports of injuries. (Twitter/@makkahregion)

Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defense authority said it has fully controlled the fire which broke out in the Haramain high-speed rail station in Jeddah on Sunday.

Earlier reports said that the fire injured five people.

“Five injured people were transferred to the hospital due to the fire in the Haramain high-speed rail station in Jeddah. 16 medical teams are working on the site of the fire,” the Mecca region official Twitter account tweeted.

Videos of the fire circulated on Twitter, showing thick billows of smoke. Civil defense forces and helicopters were seen trying to put out the fire. According to the Haramain high-speed railway's official Twitter page, the fire broke out at 12:35 p.m. local time (0935 GMT).

https://twitter.com/AlArabiya_Eng/status/1178275206437183490

The operator of the Haramain Railway said it suspended the train service until further notice for the safety of passengers.

The Haramain high-speed railway – which was inaugurated by King Salman bin Abdulaziz last September – links Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City, and Madinah. It begain its commercial operations in October 2018 between Mecca and Madinah.

As the first high-speed electric train in the region, the Haramain spans over 450 kilometers in a double line connecting five stations across Mecca, Jeddah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh, and Madinah.

It operates at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour and is the fastest train in the Middle East.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”