Look: Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Metro project first lines set to open in mid-2021

Metro lines are seen parked at a parking station during a tour of the Riyadh Metro in the Saudi capital. The first lines of Riyadh’s six-line, 176-km metro network are due to commence operation in mid-2021.

Work on the $23-billion Riyadh metro project kicked off in April 2014. The Saudi capital city is also developing an integrated city-wide 1,900-km bus network with around 3,000 stops.

Metro lines are pictured on a test drive to the King Abdullah Financial District station.

Riyadh metro is a rapid transit system under construction in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is part of the Riyadh Public Transport Project (RPTP), which will be the largest public transport project. Above, workers are pictured onboard a metro line on its way to King Abdullah Financial District station during a tour of the Riyadh Metro.

Construction of the Riyadh metro project began in April 2014, while tunnelling work on Line 1 started in July 2015. Test runs on the metro commenced in August 2018.

The longest line of the metro will be the 40.7km-long Line 3, or Orange Line, which will run from Madina Al Munawra to Rahman Al Awal Road.

Workers are pictured at the King Abdullah Financial District station.

Alstom provided 69 metro trains for the Riyadh metro project, with the last trainset shipped in February 2019.

The metro trains will be operated in automated mode. Each train will have two cars. The driverless metro train will be 36m-long and 2.71m-wide.

The driverless trains aim to provide a comfortable and convenient riding experience for passengers.

A general view shows the King Abdullah Financial District station. This station is located at the eastern side of KAFD and west of King Fahad Road. In coordination with the Public Pension Agency, an agreement has been reached to allocate the land area of 8.150 square meter. KAFD station is a hub for three lines: Blue line, Yellow line and Purple line.

Riyadh Metro stations are places where all Riyadh residents will gather whilst passing around the city. Thus, the metro stations are equipped with cutting-edge technology, making using the metro an exciting experience every day. A unified architectural design for all stations will contribute to raising the aesthetic level of the city.