RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman inaugurated on Wednesday the Riyadh Metro Project. During the opening ceremony, the King watched a documentary film that explained the salient features of the project, which represents one of the major public transport projects witnessed by the Kingdom during his prosperous era. Speaking on the occasion, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Mohammed bin Salman said that the Riyadh Public Transport Project, with its two components of trains and buses, is a fruit among the fruits of the planting of King Salman and it is based on the King's insightful vision when he was the chairman of the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh. The Crown Prince thanked the King for his generous support and patronage of the Public Transport Project in the Riyadh City, with its components of trains and buses. He noted that this project was an idea until it was translated into a reality, in accordance with the King's wise directives to complete the project according to the highest international specifications, and in the most comprehensive manner, so as to provide its services to the residents and visitors of Riyadh. The Riyadh Metro, one of the largest public transport projects in the world, will feature fully automatic trains and stations powered by renewable energy and help revolutionize transport in the region. The giant project is the backbone of the Public Transport Network in Riyadh City and one of the major components of the public transport system in the city. The new metro system, which is part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport, will meet the demands of the growing population while reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. The project, featuring high level design and technical specifications, consists of a massive network that includes 6 automated metro lines with a length of 176 km including 60 km underground, as well as 85 stations, including four main stations, and 183 trains set across 6 lines. It is noteworthy that the Riyadh Public Transport Project was launched after carrying out extensive studies prepared by the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh, which is currently known as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. This was after taking into account of the current situation of the city and its present and future needs in the public transport sector, and after identifying the best solutions and options to establish a sustainable public transport system that is compatible with the reality of the city and its urban population and traffic characteristics. These studies resulted in the development of the comprehensive plan for public transport in the city of Riyadh, which included the establishment of a train network and a parallel bus network, which works to contain the existing and expected transportation requirements in the city. After getting approval of the plan by the Council of Ministers, the authority launched a major process to qualify global coalitions to compete to implement the project, and the issuance of the royal approval to award contracts to implement the Riyadh Metro project to three coalitions that include more than 19 major international companies from 13 countries. With the support of the Crown Prince, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City has completed this project, which covers the entire area of Riyadh in one phase, in addition to its precise nature, high design and technical specifications, and its harmony with the social, environmental and urban characteristics of Riyadh and its residents. This is in addition to the project's contributions to the city of Riyadh that go beyond providing public transport services and raising the quality of life in it in general, in line with the goals of the Vision 2030.
