 The Ottomans had planned to extend their railway network to the holy city, but were forced to abandon this plan due to their partaking in the First World War.This plan was later carried out by the Saudi government, which connected the two holy cities of Madinah and Makkah with the modern Haramain high-speed railway system which runs at 300 km/h (190 mph) and connects the two cities via Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and King Abdullah Economic City near Rabigh within two hours.The haram area of Makkah, in which the entry of non-Muslims is forbidden, is much larger than that of Madinah.