(11/03/2022) 
The ages of the candidates submitted to this process, who will be the first in the country's history to be recruited for this profession, range from 22 to 30 years old. The chosen ones will drive the train linking the cities of Mecca and Medina, the first high-speed train in the Middle East.

More than half of the applicants have passed the aptitude test, in which their academic record and level of English were assessed. In the next phase of the job recruitment process, further tests and a personal interview will follow, after which a paid training period of just under a year will begin for those selected. This training will consist of theoretical and practical classes and will take place at the Spanish High Speed Mecca-Medina Consortium’s facilities.

Transfer of knowledge

Training is part of the operator’s transfer of knowledge. Between 2013 and 2014, the first train drivers were trained at Renfe's Professional Technical School of Driving and Operations in Madrid. The collaboration was extended following an agreement signed with Saudi Railway Politechnic (SRP) to provide theoretical training at its facilities in Qassim.

In total, more than 80 local train drivers have been trained by Renfe, and another 50 are currently undergoing training. Additionally, Renfe's subsidiary in the country has hired and trained more than 400 Saudis for the Commercial (both stations and on board) and Operations departments. In total, the operating company of Haramain High Speed Railway, in which Adif and Ineco also participate, currently has more than 1,300 direct workers in its service, the majority of whom are Saudi nationals.