Raffaele Breschi appointed General Manager of Dream of the Desert and CEO of Arsenale International
Dream of the Desert, Saudi Arabia’s first ultra-luxury train by Arsenale Group, marked a major development milestone with the opening of its headquarters in Riyadh and the appointment of Raffaele Breschi as General Manager of Dream of the Desert and CEO, Arsenale International.
This step marks the next phase of the project’s delivery in the country, reinforcing its central role in Saudi Arabia’s tourism transformation as it advances toward its 2026 debut.
The establishment of a permanent base in Riyadh anchors the project firmly within Saudi Arabia’s tourism and transport ecosystem and marks Arsenale’s first international headquarters, underscoring a long-term, on-the-ground commitment beyond project development.
Stakeholders
Operating from Saudi Arabia’s capital, the project team will work closely with national stakeholders including the Ministry of Culture (MOC); the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, with Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), and the Transport General Authority (TGA); and the Ministry of Tourism, with Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), and the Tourism Development Fund (TDF), the national enabler of Saudi Arabia’s tourism sector, to ensure operational readiness and activate cultural and touristic destinations along the route ahead of the inaugural journeys scheduled for the end of 2026.
As the project advances toward launch, Breschi will oversee the end-to-end setup of Dream of the Desert in Saudi Arabia, including organisational build-out, regulatory coordination, product development, distribution, talent development, and operational performance.
National partners
“Working alongside our national partners enables us to shape a rail experience that is globally distinctive yet deeply rooted in Saudi culture – one that celebrates the Kingdom’s landscapes, heritage, and hospitality while setting a new benchmark for experiential travel in the region,’’ emphasized Breschi.
Spanning more than 1,300km of Saudi Arabia’s existing railway tracks, the route will activate destinations across multiple locations, creating new gateways into the country’s natural and cultural landscapes through curated itineraries that blend craftsmanship, storytelling and destination discovery, a press statement concluded.
