Hejaz

Its location between Aqaba and a main pilgrimage route along the old Hejaz railway to Mecca had made it an important transport hub - and a cross-current of crime, smuggling and Bedouin disaffection.

The United States recognises the Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd, renamed Saudi Arabia the following year.

So began a recent trip from Amman, Jordan’s capital, on the last functioning strip of the original Hejaz Railway, the most iconic train in the Middle East.

Nearby is a preserved station of the defunct Hejaz Railway, an Ottoman-era line built by German and Turkish engineers.

The designs were created to reflect the diversity of our national heritage: Saudi green and elements from each of the regions, such as Najd and Hejaz.