Project Manager

About the Role

Dream of the Desert is seeking a Project Manager to oversee the end-to-end project management for Saudi Arabia's first ultra-luxury rail experience. This full-time role, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, involves managing operational readiness across all departments, project financing and legal structuring, and performance reporting to the Arsenale shareholder. The Project Manager will serve as the single point of accountability for the integrated project plan, its interdependencies, and ensuring timely and on-budget delivery.

Project Context: Dream of the Desert

Dream of the Desert is an ultra-luxury rail experience scheduled to launch in 2027 on the Saudi Railway Company (SAR) Northern Line, connecting Riyadh, Hail, Al Jouf, and beyond. The project integrates an Italian-crafted train, a dedicated lounge at Riyadh North Station, desert stations, and signature off-board experiences, aligning with Vision 2030. Developed in partnership with Arsenale ***, an Italian luxury hospitality group, the next 18 months involve critical milestones such as train delivery and testing, financial close, licensing, infrastructure delivery, hiring, and commercial launch, representing a complex multi-stream program with tight interdependencies.

Key Responsibilities

• Operations Project Management: Own the integrated project plan for the launch, encompassing IT, Marketing, Product, Finance, HR, Operations, infrastructure, and off-board experiences. Build and maintain the master Gantt chart, track progress against timeline and budget, flag slippages and cost deviations, and drive corrective actions. Manage project governance, including weekly check-ins, steering committee materials, decision and risk logs, and action tracking. Coordinate cross-functional dependencies to prevent bottlenecks.
• Project Financing and Legal Structuring: Act as project manager for the financing and legal construction, including lenders' term sheet, institutional investor processes, corporate reorganization, and HoldCo structure. Map Conditions Precedent (CPs) and undertakings, manage the CP tracker, and coordinate internal and external stakeholders to satisfy CPs and ensure timely deliverables. Anticipate and escalate bottlenecks in the financing and legal timeline.
• Performance Management and Shareholder Reporting: Serve as the project's investor-relations counterpart to Arsenale International's Business Development team and the COO of Arsenale. Prepare and present periodic performance reports covering progress vs. plan, budget vs. actual, key risks, and required decisions. Ensure consistency between the operational plan, business plan, and reporting provided to lenders and investors.
• Agentic AI and Ways of Working: Introduce agentic AI tools into project management and reporting (*, plan updates, tracker automation, meeting follow-ups, document drafting) and facilitate their adoption across departments. Establish and maintain a lean PMO toolkit and templates for the project.

Qualifications and Experience

• 2-5 years of experience in project management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stream projects with tight interdependencies.
• Experience in operational readiness, project financing, and legal structuring is preferred.
• Proficiency in project management tools and methodologies.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, within a dynamic environment focused on launching a new ultra-luxury hospitality experience. The role requires close coordination with various internal departments and external stakeholders, including international partners and authorities.

Application Process

Candidates interested in this Project Manager role are invited to submit their applications. Salary details will be discussed during the interview process.