Stand behind the yellow line.
The Saudi capital has been expanding consistently. In addition to the Riyadh road expansion plans introduced in 2024 to reduce congestion, the city has also welcomed the Riyadh Metro.
After years of construction and months of speculation, the public transport system was inaugurated back in December, 2024 and has since then been declared fully functional.
All six of the planned lines are now running on underground and overground tracks. What’s more, the system has opened many new stations, seamlessly connecting even more of the city.
As part of the city’s vital transportation network, Riyadh metro has announced its updated operational hours.
The increasing traffic at the stations has led to new Riyadh metro rules and fines have been announced.
The largest driverless metro network in the world has connected different parts of the city and zipping around has never been easier.
So get your metro passes and get ready to beat the traffic. Here is everything to know about the new stations.
Riyadh metro opening 2024
Part of the larger King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public transport, the metro has been serving the capital city with six lines, over 80 metro stations and bus routes, 2,860 bus stops, and 842 buses. The project aims to accommodate 1.2 million people per day via trains and 500,000 people via buses on a daily basis.
Riyadh metro opening date
The metro was made operational in December, 2024.
Riyadh metro updated operational hours
The uber successful public transportation system has become the primary mode of transportation for many in the Saudi capital. All six lines see a staggering surge in boarding and disembarking during the early hours of the day. To accommodate the surge, the metro will now run from 5.30am on weekdays.
Saturday-Thursday: 5.30am-midnight
Friday: 10am-midnight
The supporting buses will rove through the city daily from 5am to midnight.
Riyadh metro tickets
Tickets start from SAR4 for two hours.
- Three-day pass: SAR20
- Seven-day pass: SAR40
- Month-long pass: SAR140
You can get your metro passes via the Riyadh bus app. If you plan on using the metro frequently, you can also get a Darb card which will offer you some perks and discounts too.
Riyadh metro lines
You can zip around the city on all six major lines connecting some of the most happening and lively areas in the city.
- Blue line: Axis of Al Olaya – Al Batha – Al Hayer roads, with a total length of 38km
- Red line: Axis of King Abdullah Road, with a total length of 25.3km.
- Yellow line: Axis of King Khalid International Airport Road, with a total length of 29.6km.
- Orange Line: Al Madina Al Monawara to Prince Saad bin Abdul Rahman Al Awal road, covers a 40.7-kilometre distance
- Green line: King Abdul Aziz Road, covering a 12.9-kilometre distance
- Purple line: Abdul Rahman bin Aouf road to Shiekh Hassan bin Hussain bin Ali road, covering a 30-kilometre distance
Riyadh metro new stations
Five new stations were inaugurated recently. Three of the five were on the Blue Line, Al Wurud 2 Station, National Museum Station, and Al Bat’ha Station. The other two were along the Orange Line, Dhahran Al Badiah Station and Al Jarradiyah Station.
Two new stations have been inaugurated as of Tuesday, January 21 along the Orange Line. These are Al Hilla and the First Industrial City stations.
Another new station has been added to the Orange Line, the Qasr Al Hokm station. It is sandwiched between the Courts Complex station and the Al Hilla station.
In April, Riyadh transport announced the opening of two new stations, Jarir District and Railway on the Orange line. The stations are separated by the Al Malaz stop.
Right before Trump’s visit to Saudi, the Orange line got three new stations including Al Malaz, Al Rajhi Grand Mosque, and Khashm Al Aan.
Riyadh metro new rules and fines
There are 10 new fineable offenses to keep in mind while travelling on the colorful veins of Riyadh.
- Pay for your tickets and validate them throughout the journey. Failure to do so will lead to a fine of SAR200.
- Do not disrupt your fellow travellers journey by playing videos or talking loudly/ A fine of SAR200 will be imposed if you are caught doing so.
- You are not allowed to eat and or drink on aboard the trains. A fine of SAR100 will be asked to be paid upon breaking this rule.
- Do not put your feet on the seats. Failure to do adhere this rule will cost you a crispy SAR200 note.
- If you do not need the a disability or limited mobility aid to move around, you cannot use the designated seats. If found using these seats, a fine of SAR200 will be asked to be filled.
- Smoking and vaping are strictly forbidden aboard the trains. You will be fined SAR200 when caught.
- Do not damage the vehicles or the facilities. A fine of SAR500 will be imposed.
- Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards are prohibited with a fine of SAR200 if caught bringing the wheeled objects aboard.
- If you need to transport unpleasant or particularly odorous cargo, do not use the metro. You will be fined SAR200.
- While the lull of the train is quiet comfortable, you are not allowed to fall asleep on the metro. You will be fined SAR200 for it.
Saudi public transport
Since the metro has opened, the city’s traffic has eased. Not only buses and metro, the capital has also introduced the bus on demand service which will take you anywhere in the city. The Red Sea City has also joined in the fun and introduced its fresh fleet of eco-friendly buses. The KAFD monorail has just been announced and the pilot phase of self-driving cars has been launched.
From SAR4. 8am-midnight. Across Riyadh, rcrc.com / @riyadhtransport.
