It was in 2004 when King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the then governor of the Riyadh Region and chairman of the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, came up with the idea of Riyadh Metro and asked for studies to be conducted for the project.
The studies resulted in the preparation of a comprehensive plan for public transport in the city of Riyadh, which included the establishment of a metro network and a parallel bus network to accommodate the existing and expected transportation requirements in the city.
The plan was presented to King Salman and the board of the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, later renamed as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), and the first document including the engineering designs, technical specifications, and documents for the project was published.
The ambitious plan to equip Riyadh with public transportation facilities to accommodate existing and future mobility needs of the city is overseen by the RCRC and implemented though the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport project. After receiving approval for the implementation of the large-scale public transport project in Riyadh, the RCRC launched a major initiative to qualify international consortia to bid for the project.
The groundbreaking ceremony of the Riyadh Metro was held in April 2014. For over a decade, around 65,000 workers of different nationalities worked on the project at 250 work sites. The Riyadh Metro was officially inaugurated on November 27, 2024, followed by the opening of its six lines in three phases until January 2025.
Lines
The Riyadh Metro comprises six lines spanning approximately 176 kilometers and distributed on three levels: 30% of the tracks in underground tunnels, 18% on the ground, and 52% on bridges.
| Line 1 (Blue Line) Length: 38 km Number of stations: 25 | Line 4 (Yellow Line) Length: 29.7 km Number of stations: 10 |
| Line 2 (Red Line) Length: 25.1 km Number of stations: 15 | Line 5 (Green Line) Length: 13.3 km Number of stations: 12 |
| Line 3 (Orange Line) Length: 41.1 km Number of stations: 22 | Line 6 (Purple Line) Length: 28.8 km Number of stations: 11 |
Stations
The Riyadh Metro has four main stations that are creatively engineered, combining modern construction with elements of ancient architecture:
- King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) Station
- STC Station
- Qasr Al Hokm Station
- Western Station.
Gallery: King Abdullah Financial District Station
These vital areas were chosen for their high density and central locations to serve as meeting points for several train routes and the bus transportation system. These stations provide parking lots, ticket outlets, customer service, as well as shops and restaurants.
Seeking to adopt the best international designs for the Riyadh train stations, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City launched an international architectural competition to select outstanding designs. Major international engineering firms participated, and prominent global names won the competition, including Zaha Hadid (UK) for the KAFD Station, Snøhetta (Norway) for the Qasr Al Hokm Station, Gerber (Germany) for the STC Station, and Omrania (Saudi Arabia) for the Western Station. The designs of the Riyadh train stations took into consideration sustainability standards and the use of environmentally friendly materials, as well as operational aspects and ease of maintenance.
In addition to the four main stations, there are 34 elevated stations, four ground-level stations, and 47 underground stations.
Project delivery
The project was delivered by three consortia comprising global leaders in design, engineering, procurement, construction, and project management:
1. BACS consortium: Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company, and Siemens.
2. ArRiyadh New Mobility (ANM) consortium: Salini Impregilo (Webuild), Larsen & Toubro, Nesma, Ansaldo STS, Bombardier, Idom, and WorleyParsons.
3. FAST consortium: FCC, Samsung C&T Engineering & Construction Group, Alstom, Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, Atkins, Typsa, and Setec.
The BACS consortium designed and built Blue Line and Red Line including 40 stations, three depots, and four park-and-rides. The scope of work scope included structural, architectural, MEP and transit system design together with construction, testing and commissioning. It also included the procurement of all products and materials, the design and integration of the transit systems, and the civil infrastructure.
The project had a job site spanning 800 square kilometers, an area bigger than New York City, making it one of the largest in Bechtel’s history.
Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel, explained: “At peak construction, we had 28,000 craft professionals on site, and we were transporting massive quantities of materials throughout residential and commercial areas in the city each day. The construction itself required enough earthworks to build the Great Pyramid of Giza more than seven times over; steel reinforcements weighing as much as 40 Eiffel Towers; and electrical components capable of spanning the Earth’s diameter, with plenty to spare.
“Engineers in Bechtel design centers worldwide, including Taiwan, Dubai, and New Delhi, were part of a broader design team that produced over 98,000 design drawings and 100 mock-ups. The system’s doors alone required more than 10,000 unique designs, complete with customized signage and specifications. Operators received more than 120,000 as-built drawings and documentation from tens of thousands of lab tests, verifying compliance with nearly 700 material criteria.”
Not only does Riyadh’s transformation showcase a bold vision, it sets a new benchmark for urban mobility and redefining what’s possible in the face of rapid urbanization.
Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel
Construction technology
During the construction of the Riyadh Metro, the Samsung C&T E&C Group utilized advanced construction methods:
Full Span Launching Method (FSLM)
FSLM involves prefabricating spans of bridges offsite and installing them onsite. This approach reduced construction time and enhanced safety. The precast method is widely used across a range of civil engineering projects such as bridges, tunnels, stations, and caissons.
Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs)
TBM tunneling utilizes advanced mechanized and automated techniques for tasks such as tunnel excavation and the removal of excavated materials like rock and soil. During the development of Riyadh Metro’s Line 5, Samsung C&T E&C Group used two large-scale TBMs, each with a 9.8m diameter, setting a world record for daily excavation length.
Fleet
The Riyadh Metro fleet comprises 183 trains manufactured by Siemens Mobility and Alstom.
Siemens Mobility has delivered 67 Inspiro trains for the Blue and Red lines, along with the latest version of the Communications-based Train Control System (CBTC). The trains are equipped for fully automated, driverless, and conductorless operation (GoA 4), and have safety systems such as obstacle and derailment detectors as well as a fire detection system. A CCTV system transmits video data from the passenger compartment. External cameras monitor doors and tracks. Siemens Mobility has also secured a separate service contract from the Capital Metro Company (CAMCO), a joint venture between RATP Dev and SAPTCO, the operator of the Blue and Red lines.
Alstom’s contribution includes 47 Innovia metro trains for the Orange line and 69 Metropolis metro trains for the Yellow, Green, and Purple lines. The metro utilises Alstom’s advanced Urbalis CBTC signalling system and HESOP regenerative braking technology. Alstom is also providing comprehensive maintenance services for the Orange, Yellow, Green and Purple lines. This includes the maintenance of trains, fixed installations such as tracks and signaling systems, communication networks, passenger information systems, and power supply.