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Riyadh Metro reaches 100 million riders

Aug 27, 2025, 8:38am EDT
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View of skyline and KAFD station from metro.
Courtesy of the Saudi Press Agency

Riyadh’s plan to get more people to use public transport is starting to pay off: the city’s metro just carried its 100 millionth passenger, nine months after its launch. The capital’s notorious gridlock hasn’t eased yet, but the world’s longest driverless train network has defied initial doubts that it would be a passing fad, thanks in part to cushy touches like skyline views from the “driver’s seat” and air-conditioned prayer rooms.

It took Doha more than three years to hit the same milestone — even with the bump from the 2022 men’s soccer World Cup — while Dubai needed almost two years to hit 100 million. Following the metro’s apparent success, Riyadh is planning a monorail in 2027.

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