First Phase of Riyadh Metro Launches in Saudi Arabia to Enhance Public Transport

First Phase of Riyadh Metro Launched to Revolutionize Public Transport

Riyadh: The first phase of the Riyadh Metro, a major step towards transforming the public transport sector of the Saudi capital city, has begun.

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the project, which is expected to become the backbone of Riyadh’s public transport network, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Riyadh Metro consists of 176 kilometers of six lines and 85 stations including four major hubs. SPA said the three lines will open to the public on December 1 with “gradual launches” to complete the network across the city.

At the inauguration, the King said that the Riyadh Public Transport Plan, which includes metro and bus networks, was launched following studies by the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh on the capital’s current and future public transport needs.

The Riyadh Metro is the second metro system in Saudi Arabia after the first metro line in Makkah, which operates only during the Hajj season.

Once fully operational, the Riyadh Metro is expected to be the world’s largest metro to be completed in a single phase and the world’s longest driverless metro line.

It is designed to meet Riyadh’s social, environmental and urban needs and is expected to contribute significantly to the city’s urban mobility needs.