Riyadh headquarters opens as Raffaele Breschi leads Saudi Arabia’s ultra-luxury rail experience.
Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia’s first ultra-luxury desert train, has reached a significant milestone with the opening of its permanent headquarters in Riyadh and the appointment of Raffaele Breschi as General Manager. As the project enters its delivery phase ahead of its debut at the end of 2026, these developments reaffirm a long-term commitment to building the experience from within the Kingdom, in close collaboration with Saudi institutions, partners and talent.
Discover Saudi Arabia through culture, craftsmanship, landscapes and authentic encounters
More than a luxury rail journey, Dream of the Desert has been conceived as a new way of experiencing Saudi Arabia. Designed as a moving sanctuary, it invites travelers to slow down and discover the Kingdom through its landscapes, heritage, craftsmanship and hospitality. Every journey is designed to reveal a different side of Saudi Arabia, creating meaningful encounters that extend far beyond the train itself.
The establishment of Arsenale’s first international headquarters outside Italy reflects this vision. Located in Riyadh, the headquarters will serve as the operational and strategic hub for Dream of the Desert, placing the project at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving tourism ecosystem and reinforcing Arsenale’s long-term investment in the Kingdom.
Rooted in the Kingdom
Operating from Riyadh enables Dream of the Desert to work hand in hand with the national entities shaping the Kingdom’s tourism and transport future, including the Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), the Transport General Authority (TGA), the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) and the Tourism Development Fund (TDF). Together, these partnerships are supporting operational readiness while ensuring that the cultural and tourism experiences along the route are developed with authenticity, quality and long-term impact.
A curated rail journey revealing Saudi Arabia’s landscapes, culture and heritage
Spanning more than 1,300 kilometers of Saudi Arabia’s existing railway network, Dream of the Desert will connect travelers with landscapes and regions that remain largely undiscovered by international luxury tourism. Rather than simply linking destinations, the experience has been designed to reveal the Kingdom progressively through carefully curated moments both onboard and beyond the train. Storytelling, local craftsmanship, cultural encounters and refined hospitality come together to create immersive journeys that encourage travelers to engage more deeply with the places they visit.
A New Chapter for Saudi Talent
Dream of the Desert is more than a luxury travel product. It is an investment in Saudi Arabia’s people and its long-term economic ambitions. The project will create direct employment opportunities with a strong focus on Saudization, introducing Saudi nationals into a new and specialized field, rail-based luxury hospitality, that does not yet exist in the Kingdom. It will enable skills transfer across guest experience, service design, and rail operations, building a workforce with the expertise to sustain and grow this sector for decades to come. Local supply chains will be stimulated, and the project’s reach across multiple regions will contribute meaningfully to the experiential tourism ecosystem that Vision 2030 is working to build.
Leadership for the Next Chapter
Appointed to lead this next phase, Raffaele Breschi brings a strong track record in international expansion and luxury hospitality development. He joined Arsenale Group in 2023 following senior roles focused on growth across the Middle East, and previously served as Partner at McKinsey & Company, advising sovereign entities and global developers on large-scale tourism and hospitality strategies. In addition to his role as General Manager of Dream of the Desert, Breschi has been appointed CEO of Arsenale International, overseeing all Arsenale projects outside Italy, with Dream of the Desert as the flagship.
“Establishing our headquarters in Riyadh reflects our commitment to building Dream of the Desert from within the Kingdom,” said Raffaele Breschi, General Manager of Dream of the Desert. “Working alongside our national partners enables us to shape a rail experience that is globally distinctive yet deeply rooted in Saudi culture, one that celebrates the Kingdom’s landscapes, heritage, and hospitality while setting a new benchmark for experiential travel in the region.”
Designed to redefine what luxury rail travel looks like in the 21st century, Dream of the Desert supports Saudi Vision 2030’s ambition to position the Kingdom as a leading destination for high-value, culturally rooted travel. As travelers increasingly seek journeys defined by authenticity, connection and meaning, Dream of the Desert introduces a new way of discovering Saudi Arabia. Rooted in Saudi culture and elevated by world-class hospitality and design, it is not simply a luxury train, but a moving sanctuary that invites guests to experience the Kingdom through its landscapes, stories and people.
With its headquarters established, its national partnerships in place, and its leadership focused on delivery, Dream of the Desert moves steadily toward its end of 2026 debut, one of the most significant additions to the global luxury travel landscape in years, wholly rooted in Saudi Arabia and shaped by its culture and its people.
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