The Italian premium hotel company Arsenale has signed a contract with Egyptian National Railways to construct the luxury cruise train ‘Guardian of the Nile.’ This Italian-made train will feature 15 carriages, including 40 cabins in Deluxe, Suite, and Honor Suite classes, accommodating up to 80 passengers. The train is set to operate along tourist routes from Cairo to Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, with operations commencing in 2027.
Beyond Egypt, Arsenale is expanding its premium train services to other countries. The Italian company has agreements with Saudi Arabia and the UAE to launch 35 trains on the El-Fujairah – Abu Dhabi and Qurayyat – Riyadh routes by 2025.
Additionally, Arsenale has reached an agreement with Uzbekistan to launch luxury trains on the Tashkent – Khiva route by 2026. The Samarkand Express trains will comprise 13-15 carriages with 38 compartment suites, accommodating about 76 passengers. Unlike the projects in Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, the luxury trains for Uzbekistan are planned to be manufactured locally at the facilities of JSC “Uzbekistan Railways.”
