Skip to main content

First three lines of Riyadh Metro to open

Driverless mass transit system runs 176km in Saudi Arabia's capital
By Adam Hill November 29, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
Riyadh Metro: fully open in January 2025 (image: RCRC)

Riyadh Metro, a driverless mass transit system, will open to the public on 1 December.

Riders will be able to use three lines of the network, which will soon rise to six lines in the Saudi Arabian capital.

The Blue line (Line 1), Yellow (Line 4) and Purple (Line 6) are the first to open; then comes the Red line (Line 2) and Green (Line 5) on 15 December; and finally the Orange line (Line 3) on 5 January 2025.

The 176km network is designed to accommodate up to 3.6 million passengers daily at full capacity, with 85 stations, including four 'iconic main' stations: King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), STC, Qasr Al Hokm, and Western Station.

Riyadh Metro is a key component of Riyadh Public Transport (RPT), which also includes buses - including bus rapid transit and bus on demand - as well as park and ride facilities.

It will "significantly bolster urban mobility and the services and logistics sector in Riyadh", according to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

This investment in infrastructure and mobility is part of the Saudi Vision 2030, strengthening the city’s readiness for hosting major events.

"The network is in line with Riyadh’s economic, social, environmental and urban development objectives, and represents a historic milestone in the capital’s transportation sector," says H.E. Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Sultan, minister of state, member of the Council of Ministers, and CEO of RCRC.

“Today, Riyadh City is reaping the benefits of this project that will reshape the capital’s image and redefine mobility for its residents and visitors."

Related Content

  • February 14, 2018
    Egis selected as project consultant for Bangkok monorail contract
    Thai Mass Rapid Transit Authority has chosen Egis as a project consultant for Bangkok’s Pink Line monorail along with its local partner Team Consult. The estimated ฿53.5bn (£1.2bn) scheme will deploy 42 trains with a maximum speed of 80 km / h with the intention of carrying more than 28,000 passengers per hour in each direction and increasing everyday journeys to more than 400,000 people. This venture is part of the Mass Rapid Transit Master Plan which intends to develop the public transport network in the
  • August 17, 2012
    Saudi Arabia plans 182-km metro railway system in Mecca
    The Saudi Arabian government has approved plans to modernise the transport system in its holdy city of Mecca which will include four metro railway lines with 88 stations and a combined length of 182 kms. The transport plan, which will cost US$16.53 billion, also includes building a bus network in Mecca. Saudi Arabia is also spending billions on upgrading the transport system in the capital Riyadh and on a high-speed rail line connecting Mecca with the holy city of Medina.
  • July 26, 2013
    Qatar invests $70 billion to pave the way to world beating transportation
    Eng. Zeina Nazer looks at what Qatar’s recently-announced investment in transport infrastructure will mean on the ground. Qatar is experiencing a rapid economic and industrial growth. This growth is characterised by a rapid population increase and by the urgent need towards the development of both infrastructure projects and major transport projects. In order to handle this rate of development within Qatar, Public Works Authority (Ashghal) is developing a fully-integrated multimodal transportation system in
  • August 28, 2012
    Saudi Arabia plans public transport system upgrade
    Tenders will shortly be issued for a proposed US$9.33 billion metro railway system in Jeddah. The metro system will consist of three main lines and 46 stations; the Orange line will be 67km long with 22 stations, the Blue line 24km with 17 stations and the Green line 17km with only seven stations.