When Italian entrepreneur Paolo Barletta talks about trains, he doesn’t just see carriages and tracks – he sees “hotels on wheels”.
As chief executive of Arsenale Group, the Italian company behind some of the world’s most ambitious rail projects, Barletta is betting big on the renaissance of slow, elegant, overland travel. And the Middle East is quickly becoming its most exciting frontier.
With Saudi Arabia’s Dream of the Desert set to make its debut next year, and a proposed luxury rail line with Etihad Rail expected to roll out by 2028, Barletta says the slow mode of travel is rising in demand around the world.
“People want to be a little bit more analogic, especially in their travel experiences,” he tells The National. “Nostalgia, sustainability and the possibility to disconnect. This is what it's all about.”
A luxury hospitality company, Arsenale Group manages high-end hotels and develops luxury rail cruises around the world, including La Dolce Vita Orient Express in Italy.
Closer to home, construction of Dream of the Desert – billed as the first five-star train in the Middle East – was signed off in 2022 and began this year. It will feature 31 private suites and two presidential suites, and accommodate up to 66 guests per trip. Travelling from Riyadh along 1,300km of existing railway lines, it will stop at some of Saudi Arabia's most picturesque locations, including Unesco World Heritage Sites.
“The train will traverse the desert, then through the greenery of the Qassim region, the mountains of Al Hail and much more,” Barletta says.
Mock-ups of the Italian-made carriages were showcased at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh last week, with interiors designed by Lebanese architect Aline Asmar d’Amman. Alongside the 33 suites, the train will comprise two restaurant cars and a majlis lounge “adorned with finely carved wood finishes, desert-inspired hues and golden accents that reflect the warmth and richness of Saudi heritage”.
Barletta adds: “We wanted to bring the entire culture of the country on board. You will find reference to AlUla, the Red Sea and Riyadh in the design.”
Calling it “a moving masterpiece”, Barletta says the train will redefine ultra-luxury travel, “while carrying the world’s most discerning travellers through the heart of Saudi Arabia’s landscapes and traditions”.
Ticket prices for Dream of the Desert will “align with prices in the ultra-luxury segment”, he confirms, and cost $3,000 to $5,000 per person, per night.
Arsenale Group is also building a luxury service for Etihad Rail, the UAE's ambitious railway network whose passenger service is launching next year. Barletta is hoping to roll out the luxury trains by 2028 “if all goes according to plan”.
“The Etihad Rail infrastructure is getting longer every day, completing important miles,” he says. “We hope that as soon as the network is completed and in operation, we will be able to come with one of our trains a short time after that.”
Barletta envisions the UAE journey as a kind of inland cruise. “It will give you the opportunity to discover the country in a different way … visit all the mountains that there are in Hatta before you get to Fujairah and the beauty of the Empty Quarter in the desert of Liwa. There is so much in the country that can be explored.”
Unlike short-haul flights or motorway transits, trains offer a chance to slow down and take in the landscape.
“You embark in a train, relax in your cabin and the day after you are in a different place, maybe the day after you will be in a different country,” he says, pointing to the resurgence of rail travel in the GCC, which he hopes will lead to growing demand for luxury rail tourism.
He also thinks the luxury line will benefit the UAE’s wider tourism offering. “When you have one of these trains in the UAE, it will offer a different experience to what they are used to,” he says. “Maybe people will stay one night in the hotel, two nights on the train, or one night on the train and another two nights in a hotel.”
Barletta’s company is investing in the region. It is also developing a luxury train along the Nile, opening up a slower, overland alternative to the area’s storied river cruises. And then there's the Samarkand Express, which will take travellers through the Silk Road in Uzbekistan starting next year.
In September, Arsenale Group announced it was acquiring Golden Eagle Luxury Trains, the UK company specialising in high-end rail journeys around the world, particularly on the Trans-Siberian Railroad.
“We will work to upgrade the fleet of Golden Eagle trains and relaunch new journeys,” says Barletta. “We are also looking to other markets in order to keep growing this segment of luxury train travel, of which Arsenale is now one of the leaders.
“We are proud to bring so much attention to an industry that five years ago was not the super-hot trend it is today.”
The appeal of slow travel was never lost – it only needed to be reimagined, he says. “The problem is that there was no one doing innovation. So many of the trains were old and uncomfortable, and not every cabin had an en-suite bathroom,” Barletta says.
“We just created a product with new standards on the most beautiful railways in the world.”
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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EA Sports FC 24
Race card
4pm Al Bastakiya Listed US$300,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,200m
5.10pm Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 $350,000 (Turf) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar Group 3 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta Group 1 $400,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 $600,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Dubai City Of Gold Group 2 $350,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections:
4pm Zabardast
4.35pm Ibn Malik
5.10pm Space Blues
5.45pm Kimbear
6.20pm Barney Roy
6.55pm Matterhorn
7.30pm Defoe
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results:
Men's 100m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 15 sec; 2. Rheed McCracken (AUS) 15.40; 3. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 15.75. Men's 400m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 50.56; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 50.94; 3. Henry Manni (FIN) 52.24.
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Look%20Both%20Ways
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Fast%20X
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LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
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Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.
The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.
All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.
No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.
