The 280-mile railway connecting Mecca and Medina is a part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing effort to move away from dependence on oil exports. King Salman's government expects that the Haramain railway will serve nearly 60 million passengers a year.

Among the non-oil revenue strategies that the country has pursued is tourism. One prime group of people that the government is targeting with the opening of the new railway is pilgrims embarking on the Hajj.

Every year, millions of Muslims from many countries embark on the Hajj, a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims can trace the beginnings of the spiritual pilgrimage to the prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismael and their building of the Kaaba, the most sacred building in all of Islam. The Hajj was originally performed by the Prophet Muhammad and has been modified a bit through the years but survives mostly intact. Many pilgrims include, on their trip home, a stop at Medina to visit Muhammad's tomb.

The government estimates that the Hajj and the umrah, a lesser pilgrimage, result in billions of dollars in revenues, in pilgrims' lodging, transport, and food costs.