Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Metro to partially open before year end

Abu Dhabi: Authorities in charge of the development of Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Metro project confirmed it will be partially opened before the end of this year, according to Al Jazirah newspaper.

“A number stations will be opened and made available to the public before the end of the year 2020,” Al Jazirah reported.

The $27 billion Riyadh Metro project is part of the Kingdom’s capital’s expansion plan to turn it into a megatropolis and improve the transportation infrastructure of the city.

Fahad Al Rasheed, president of the Urban20 (U20) and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), said we anticipate doubling of the city’s population to 15 million as well as doubling of the size of the economy with the implementation of more than 18 giant projects, including Riyadh Metro, Al Diriyah, Qiddiya, Riyadh Art and Green Riyadh.

He explained that the capital Riyadh is currently ranked 49th among the world's cities in terms of population, with 7 million people, and it is ranked 18th globally in terms of the size of the economy, and contributes more than 47 per cent of the Kingdom's non-oil GDP.

Al Rasheed said the metro project was part of the city’s wider expansion plans to increase public transport percentage from one per cent to 20 per cent.