SAUDI ARABIA: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud officially inaugurated the Riyadh Metro as the future backbone of the capital’s public transport network on November 27. A phased opening to passengers is planned between December 1 and January 5.
The six routes totalling 176 km – including 9 km shared by the Yellow and Purple lines – have been built by three international consortia.
Alstom said it is the largest single-phase turnkey urban metro project ever undertaken, and the company’s most extensive turnkey urban project to date.
Bechtel said it ‘has been the world’s largest rail project under construction over the past decade’ and ’the job site spanned 800 square kilometres, an area bigger than New York City’.
RATP Dev said the ‘extraordinary project’ would ’transform mobility, allowing residents and visitors to transition from car-dependent travel to a more sustainable and connected transport system’.
| Line | Route | Length, km | Opening | Construction contract winners | Rolling stock supplier | Operations | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Blue | Olaya - Batha Street | 38 | December 1 2024 | BACS (Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Co, Siemens Mobility) | Siemens Mobility, 41 four-car and 26 two-car Inspiro trainsets | CAMCO (RATP Dev/SAPTCO joint venture) | Siemens Mobility |
| 2 Red | King Abdullah Road | 25·1 | December 15 2024 | ||||
| 3 Orange | Medina Road – Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman Al-Awwal | 41·1 | January 5 2025 | ArRiyadh New Mobility (Ansaldo STS (now Hitachi), Bombardier Transportation (Alstom), Salini-Impregilo (Webuild), Larsen & Toubro, Nesma) | Bombardier Transportation, 47 two-car Inovia trainsets | FLOW (FS Italiane, Alstom and Ansaldo STS (Hitachi)) | Alstom |
| 4 Yellow | King Khalid International Airport | 29·7 | December 1 2024 | FAST (FCC, Samsung C&T, Alstom, Strukton, Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, Typsa, Setec) | Alstom, 69 two-car Metropolis trainsets | ||
| 5 Green | King Abdulaziz Road | 13·3 | December 15 2024 | ||||
| 6 Purple | Abdulrahman bin Auf Street – Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali | 28·8 | December 1 2024 |
The metro is intended to significantly reduce reliance on private vehicles, cutting fuel consumption and pollution.
‘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’, said Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Sultan, Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers and CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
‘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. Riyadh Metro is going to ease the daily lives and commute of citizens, residents and visitors, offering them a world-class urban travel experience.’
Six lines
The metro will have an initial capacity of 1·1 million passengers/day and a design capacity of up to 3·6 million passengers/day.
There are 34 elevated, 47 underground and four surface stations, including four main hubs designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (King Abdullah Financial District), Snøhetta (Qasr Al Hokm), Gerber Architekten (STC) and Omrania (Western Station).
The stations were designed to reduce energy and water consumption, enhance indoor air quality, prioritise the use of local materials and use 20% recycled materials.
‘The Riyadh Metro is the mirror of a city where tradition embraces modernity’, said Webuild Chief Executive Pietro Salini. ‘The network will meet the needs of the kingdom’s rapidly growing capital city, improving the quality of life of residents, helping to reduce congestion, and improving overall air quality. The project also serves as a model for new sustainable infrastructure, combining engineering excellence with aesthetic beauty.’
A fleet of 183 GoA4 driverless trainsets totalling 448 cars was supplied by Siemens, Alstom and the former Bombardier Transportation, with styling by Avant Premiere.
Siemens said its trainsets are designed for local climate with powerful air-conditioning as well as filters and sealing to reduce the ingress of sand into the traction systems, brakes and bogies. Trainsets can couple and decouple trains automatically, enabling the control centre to adapt train lengths to demand.
The Riyadh Metro Transit Consultants consortium of Egis, Parsons and Systra, was responsible for supervising work on the Blue, Red and Orange lines. Egis said it has developed specialised skills amongst young Saudis, created employment opportunities and advanced gender inclusion by enabling women to take on roles such as station master and operational supervisors.
