French engineer Alstom has signed a deal with the Saudi Arabian city of AlUla to build the world’s longest battery-operated tram system.

The AlUla Experiential Tramway will run 22km with 17 stations.

It will link five historical districts in the ancient oasis city, which is located on the Red Sea coast in Medina province.

The company is also supplying 20 of its Citadis trams, equipped with Mitrac B batteries, and what Alstom describes as its “fast and invisible ground-based static charging system”.

The entire project is being built on a turnkey basis, including power supply, signalling and communication systems, as well as depot equipment.

According to the company, nine of its French sites will work on delivering the scheme.

It will also provide maintenance for the trams and track for 10 years, using Alstom’s HealthHub tool for predictive maintenance and fleet management. It will also offer training programmes for tram technicians and service staff.

The company did not give details on the schedule of the project, or its estimated cost.