Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Metro adjusts schedule to 5:30am in push to ease traffic 

Dubai: Riyadh’s public transport authority said Friday that the city’s metro system will now begin operating at 5:30 a.m. each day, a shift intended to better serve students, employees, and other early-morning commuters.

The decision follows a rise in passenger demand and is part of the capital efforts to cut dependence on private cars, relieve road congestion, and make daily mobility across the capital more efficient. 

The metro has rapidly become a backbone of Riyadh’s transport system. Since opening in December, it has carried more than 100 million passengers, according to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Trains have maintained punctuality rates above 99 percent. 

Among the network’s six lines, the blue line running along the Olaya corridor has emerged as the busiest, with nearly half the total ridership. 

The red line on King Abdullah Road and the orange line on Medina Road follow, while the remaining three lines together account for close to a quarter of journeys.

Metro operations are linked to a growing ecosystem of buses, on-demand shuttle services, and park-and-ride facilities, designed to encourage residents to leave their cars behind.