Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia’s first ultra-luxury train by Arsenale Group, opened its permanent headquarters in Riyadh on May 13, 2026, and appointed Raffaele Breschi as General Manager and CEO of Arsenale International. The establishment marks the project’s entry into its delivery phase ahead of its scheduled 2026 debut.
The permanent Riyadh base anchors the project within Saudi Arabia’s tourism and transport ecosystem and represents Arsenale’s first international headquarters. Operating from the capital, the project team will collaborate with national stakeholders including the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, Saudi Arabia Railways, Transport General Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Saudi Tourism Authority, and the Tourism Development Fund to ensure operational readiness and activate destinations along the route.
Leadership and Operational Focus
Breschi will oversee the complete setup of Dream of the Desert in Saudi Arabia, including organizational development, regulatory coordination, product development, distribution, talent development, and operational performance. His background includes senior roles in Middle East expansion and luxury hospitality development, as well as experience as a Partner at McKinsey & Company advising global developers and sovereign entities on large-scale tourism and hospitality strategies.
“Establishing our headquarters in Riyadh reflects our commitment to building Dream of the Desert from within the Kingdom. Working alongside our national partners enables us to shape a rail experience that is globally distinctive yet deeply rooted in Saudi culture,”
Raffaele Breschi, General Manager of Dream of the Desert
Route and Travel Experience
Dream of the Desert will span more than 1,300 kilometers of Saudi Arabia’s existing railway tracks and offer immersive journeys lasting one to three days across the country. The route will activate destinations across multiple locations, creating gateways into the Kingdom’s natural and cultural landscapes through curated itineraries that combine refined onboard hospitality with off-board travel experiences.
The project forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader tourism and infrastructure transformation, supporting Saudi Vision 2030’s objective to position the Kingdom as a leading destination for high-value, culturally rooted travel. The train will celebrate the Kingdom’s landscapes, heritage, and hospitality while setting a benchmark for experiential travel in the region.
Economic and Workforce Development
Beyond its luxury travel experience, Dream of the Desert will play a socio-economic role in Saudi Arabia. The project will support hospitality workforce development with emphasis on Saudization, enable specialized skills transfer in rail-based guest experience operations, stimulate local supply chains, and contribute to the growth of an experiential tourism ecosystem across the country.
About Arsenale Group
Arsenale S.p.A., founded in 2020 by Paolo Barletta and Annabel Holding, operates in the luxury hospitality sector with divisions focused on hotel design and management, and luxury train cruising. The company expanded internationally beginning in 2023 with four signed projects: Dream of the Desert in Saudi Arabia, the Samarkand Express in Uzbekistan, Guardian of the Nile in Egypt, and a luxury train project in the UAE. In September 2025, Arsenale acquired 100 percent of Golden Eagle Luxury Trains Ltd., a historic British company recognized as an international benchmark in long-distance luxury rail travel.
The project’s priority list is now open via the website dreamofthedesert.com for interested travelers seeking details on itineraries and experiences.
