Saudi Arabia plans to build a Hyperloop that would shrink commutes from hours to minutes — here’s what it could look like

Virgin Hyperloop One

For nearly a century, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has relied on the country’s expansive oil reserves to power its economy.

But in recent years, oil prices have rapidly decreased, and Saudi Arabia is now looking to diversify its economy and rely less on oil.

The royal family has created a new plan called “Vision 2030,” which provides a blueprint for modernizing cities across the kingdom. As part of this plan, the country says it hopes to build a Hyperloop, a massive, high-speed pneumatic transit system that would travel between several cities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

On Monday, Virgin Hyperloop One (one Los Angeles-based company that’s developing the technology) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled a prototype of a Hyperloop pod for the project.

If realized, the system would dramatically change how residents move around in Saudi and UAE cities. According to Virgin Hyperloop One, its pod would shrink hourlong commutes to mere minutes.

Take a look at the plan below.

Saudi Arabia’s Hyperloop would connect several cities in the Middle East, including Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Abu Dhabi.

Kamran Jebreili/AP

The exact planned route of the line is still unclear, however. The company announced in late 2016 that it signed an agreement with Dubai Roads and Transport Authority to evaluate using the Hyperloop between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Here’s a bird’s-eye view of a potential Hyperloop station:

Virgin Hyperloop One

According to Virgin Hyperloop One, the system would travel two to three times faster than high-speed rail.

Virgin Hyperloop One

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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