Saudi Arabia set to launch Riyadh Metro this year

RIYADH: The Saudi government confirmed that Riyadh Metro will be operational this year as announced by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) previously, local media reported.

Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services Saleh Al-Jasser while speaking to a media outlet in the Kingdom said that the Riyadh Metro would become the world’s biggest metro project built in a single phase in terms of scale.

“Our efforts aim to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub, leveraging its strategic location,” the Saudi minister of transport and logistics services said.

The project is jointly being carried out by Maersk and the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) with SR 1.3 billion. With the capacity to handle 200,000 standard containers a year, the recently opened logistics zone is projected to improve supply chain operations and generate over 2,500 job possibilities.

Al-Jasser said that the zone complements the national strategy for transportation and logistics services led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by providing integrated logistics solutions that significantly increase the sector’s economic worth.

The Saudi minister of transport and logistics service said that that a variety of goods, including chemicals and other products, can be handled by the 225,000-square-meter Maersk Logistics Zone facility. Refrigerated items can be stored at temperatures as low as -25 degrees Celsius.

Saudi Arabia advanced significantly in the Logistics Performance Index in 2023, moving up to 17th place worldwide. Indicators of maritime connectivity have also quadrupled in the last three years, which supports improvements in multimodal transportation integration and air connectivity.

Earlier, the local media reported that four road development contracts totaling SR13 billion (US$3.46 billion) have been given out by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) as part of the program’s initial phase to improve the capital city’s transportation system.

The commission’s Board of Directors said that the program’s initial phase intends to build the main and ring roads’ axes and connect them in order to offer the city’s residents sustainable transportation and logistics services.

In accordance with Vision 2030’s goals, it was stated that the road initiative will establish Riyadh as one of the major global cities and position it as a significant hub for the Middle East’s sustainable logistics and transportation services.