Ottoman Hejaz Railway Bridge

Northern Saudi Arabia


This is one of the only surviving bridges of the Hejaz Railway left in Saudi Arabia. The beautiful 150m long red-and-grey-brick arches, stretching over a wadi (dry riverbed), once linked a now invisible single track from one bank to the other. Built by the Ottomans at the dawn of the 20th century, it sits in a harsh, desolate spot as a lonely reminder of the doomed project.

The bridge is two hours south of Al Ula off the old Medina–Al Ula road. To get here requires a 4WD as you need to go off the main road and drive across the sands to the village of Huraymil, before heading west. The site is close to the overturned Hejaz locomotive, which is around the corner.