Ishabil.com

 Since the inception of the Haramain High-Speed Railway , it was a dream of mine to experience this "bullet train" of the desert. While a trip to Madinah wasn't possible due to work schedules, my colleague Nawaz and I decided a trip to Makkah was the perfect alternative. We realized just in time that the inaugural 50% discount offer was ending, so we booked our tickets immediately. We chose the Business Class —a steal at just 26 Riyals (compared to 21 Riyals for Economy)—for the 10:22 AM departure from Jeddah. The Gateway: Jeddah Sulaymaniyah Station The Haramain Railway is a 450-km long high-tech corridor connecting Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah, and Rabigh using advanced Chinese rail technology. We arrived at the Sulaymaniyah Station in Jeddah via taxi. The sheer scale and modernity of the station were staggering. From the moment we stepped out of the taxi, the service was seamless. After a quick ticket check, we were u...

Every March, the industrial city of Yanbu transforms into a vibrant canvas of colors. Hosted by the Royal Commission of Yanbu, the Flower and Garden Festival is a world-renowned event, famously holding two Guinness World Records for the largest carpet of flowers. After years of missing out, I finally joined the Sanchari Jeddah travel group for a day trip to witness this floral wonder. The Journey Begins Our day started early at 6:30 AM at Silent Park, Jeddah. Despite a slight delay with the bus, the spirits of the travelers were high. We enjoyed a group breakfast in the park before our "Smiling Apple" bus—driven by a friendly young man and his son—arrived to whisk our group of 50 towards Yanbu. The drive was far from boring. To break the ice, we split into four competitive teams: Team Taj Clinic , Team Al Baik , Team Ford , and Team Accountants for a spirited game of Antakshari (a singing medley). As we sang, th...