FS-Italferr strengthen partnership in Saudi Arabia

Promoting cooperating in innovation, safety, sustainable mobility and advanced planning and worksite digitalisation sectors.  This was the main goal of the meeting between a delegation from Gruppo FS with Italferr and the Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) CEO, Bashar Al-Malik, in Riyadh.

The mission included Italferr CEO, Dario Lo Bosco, Italcertifer CEO, Carmine Zappacosta, Gruppo FS’s Chief Technology, Innovation and Digital Officer, Massimiliano Garri, Foreign Director, Irene Gionfriddo, Strategies Director, Ugo Dibennardo, Digital Director, Daniela Aprea, and other Group representatives.

This visit provided an opportunity to inform strategic partners of Gruppo FS’s integrated offer, ranging from engineering services for sustainable development of infrastructures, to operations, and railway certification activities, as well as hi-tech digital systems serving integrated, multi-modal mobility - with this offer being enhanced by the contribution by the Sagitta Consortium, made up of FS and Almaviva.

Currently, Italferr is involved in important collaborations with Saudi Arabia Railways in various strategic projects, including the Saudi Landbridge, acknowledged to be one of the main railway works in the region. The meeting also made it possible to consolidate and extend the partnership further, especially in relation to both research initiatives and university instruction, while facilitating the joint development of smart patents based on the application of artificial intelligence.

The delegation also met the CEO of Top Management of the FLOW Consortium (Gruppo FS, Hitachi and Alstom), that will manage Operation & Maintenance Services for lines 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Riyadh Metro, inaugurated in 2024 as part of the “Vision 2030” strategy, for 10 years. Italferr will contribute to innovating the project. The visit continued with a metro trip on lines 4, 6 and 3, as far as the Qasr Al-Hukm Station, also designed by the FS CREW Group company.

Italferr’s top management also visited the head office of the Riyadh Branch, where the local team is already using Italferr’s new 4D and 5D BIM digital platforms to prevent delays and additional costs, ensuring advanced worksite control.

The mission ended with an institutional meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Carlo Baldocci, during which they discussed positioning of Italian companies in strategic sectors of the Saudi economy, including initiatives and investments in the training field.

Cooperation in the railway sector will be enhanced following the meetings held with SAR, promoting operating synergies and valorising the Gruppo FS’s skills in terms of engineering and technology, in Saudi Arabia. The mission highlighted the potential for future collaboration and confirmed interest on the part of FS, Italferr and other companies in the Group to take part in sustainable development of the Country, in line with the partnership between the Italian and Saudi Arabian governments. Further bi-lateral FS and SAR meetings are already planned to define specific collaboration protocols for matters of common interest.

Cooperation in the railway sector will be enhanced following the meetings held with SAR, implementing operating synergies and valorising the Gruppo FS’s skills in terms of engineering and technology, in Saudi Arabia.

The mission highlighted the great potential for future strategic collaboration and confirmed interest on the part of FS, Italferr and other companies in the Group to take part in sustainable development of the Country of international significance, in line with the institutional partnership between the Italian and Saudi Arabian governments. Along with the Ambassador, further bi-lateral meetings between FS and SAR are already planned, for stipulating specific protocols for implementing collaboration on the various matters dealt with, of common interest.