Saudi Arabia awards $22.5 bln contracts to build Riyadh metro

[Arya Desa]

The stations are very nice but if the trains are not bombardier, then they are horrendous. If they are bombardier then this is a good project.

 

[al-Hasani]

Bingo

The design looks amazing and all, however, all contractors must finish the projects they took on time otherwise things will remain messy

I think that it is going to be amazing. Biggest project in the world of its kind. The infrastructure and transport systems in KSA are only going to get better and better. Look at all the projects in that department. This is all very encouraging. We will have the best infrastructure by far in the Middle East, Muslim and Arab world.

I like it especially for the reasons I and others wrote before.

Besides what I find most astonishing about this project is the fact that this will now connect nearly all parts of KSA with each other in the giant country that is KSA. In terms of public transport. Let us assume that I am in Riyadh. If I want to go to Makkah and Madinah or the Hijaz region to visit the beautiful Red Sea, ancient villages, the mountains, volcanic areas, steppes and deserts etc., I take a direct top modern train and I am there in a question of hours. If I want to visit the Southwest and the tropical areas there I take another train. If I want to go to the Eastern Province along the Gulf I take a train in that direction. Same goes with the South, North etc.

It gives people the opportunity to travel and explore their own country. There is so much to see. Even for me and I have travelled to nearly every region. On the long run it can create so many tourists from the country itself to abroad when certain laws are changed. Who knows what the country will look like in 5-10 years? Or 15 years?

Let alone connections to Jordan as mentioned, Syria, Palestine in the future (Inshallah), Iraq when it gets save there, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan etc.

I just hope that the transportation will be cheap. I don't really care about the extravagance. Just let it be functional, long-lasting etc.

The stations are very nice but if the trains are not bombardier, then they are horrendous. If they are bombardier then this is a good project.

Of course those trains will be high speed trains! Look at the scale of the project. Biggest of its kind in the world.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Amazing, 5min worth of watching

 

[Bubblegum Crisis]

In English.

 

[Contrarian]

I have a question.
How is this the worlds largest or most ambitious project when both India and China are building Metro systems like crazy.
Delhi Metro alone is already almost 200kms and the plan is to take it around 350kms to 400 kms in the next few years.

And we don't come even close to the scale China is building. Their metro systems are already much larger than ours and also expanding at a faster pace than ours.

So how is the Riyadh metro system the most ambitious or biggest?

 

[oFFbEAT]

Another Hindu that meddles in Arab, Semitic and Muslim business that is none of his business and shows his ignorance......

How do you know that the person is a 'Hindu'........don't come to hasty conclusions mate, it might lead to unnecessary troll fest......

 

[Hack-Hook]

well , no doubt the project itself , is simply fantastic from designing point and technical aspect.
but something I don't get , all those high techs and fancy design certainly cost far more than 22.5b and for the rest of the project that connect the system all over KSA I believe you need far more than tens of time more than that amount .

 

[Arabian Legend]

Update:

Riyadh metro to have unified design and color-coded lines

The unified design and color code will make the Riyadh metro more distinguished and convenient for passengers
​

The city of Riyadh has decided on a unified design for over 200 metro cars, and different colors for various routes, for its future turnkey six-line metro project, which is scheduled for completion in 2018.
Experts decided on the new design after considering submissions from the three consortiums working on the metro project, the Arriyadh Development Authority tweeted Monday.

The unified design will make the metro project more distinguished and convenient for passengers, especially with each metro line having a different car color code, the commission said.

The project, dubbed the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transportation, has assigned a color code for each line through the city. The blue metro serves the Olaya-Batha line, green the King Abdullah Round Road line, red the Madinah-Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman Al-Awal line, orange the King Khaled Airport Road line, yellow for the underground tunnel line along King Abdulaziz Street between King Abdulaziz Historical Center and the Riyadh Airbase, and the purple metro for the Abdulrahman bin Auf and Al-Sheikh Hassan Bin Hussain line.

The metro cars have special seating for singles, families, and first class. Passengers will be able to connect to the metro Wi-Fi.

The metro project is expected to start with 202 cars, and may be increased to 338 to meet possible future demand. It will have a daily capacity of 1.16 million passengers on its inauguration, which may be increased to 3.6 million passengers in the future.

Riyadh has almost 6 million inhabitants with an expected increase to more than 8 million in 2030. The plan is to reduce traffic congestion, enhance the economic dynamism of the Saudi capital and improve quality of life. One of the world’s largest turnkey metro projects, this fully automatic driverless network will be 170 km long and include 87 stations.

Arab News recently visited the Alstom metro car manufacturing facility in France, where the Riyadh metro will be built. Alstom will provide the city with a fully integrated metro solution that combines the company’s state-of-the-art metro sub-systems.

The total value of the project, which is financed by the Saudi government through the Public Investment Fund, amounts to SR30 billion of which Alstom’s share represents more than SR6.18 billion. The rest of the project cost will go to the FAST consortium, including FCC (leader), Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, Samsung, Strukton, Setec, and Typsa.

Riyadh metro to have unified design and color-coded lines | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[al-Hasani]

The plan is to reduce traffic con- gestion, enhance economic dyna- mism of the capital and improve the general quality of life.

RIYADH: MD RASOOLDEEN

Published — Monday 16 December 2013

Last update 16 December 2013 3:52 pm

The King Abdulaziz Project for Public Transport in the capital will be completed on time as contracts have been signed, land plots have been earmarked and manpower and equipment for construction work have been set up.
This was announced by Gov. Prince Khaled bin Bandar on Sunday at the inauguration of the 2nd Health Innovation Conference 2013 at King Fahd Medical City in Riyadh.
The metro project is expected to begin with 202 cars and may be increased to 338 to meet possible future demand. It will have a daily capacity of 1.16 million passengers initially and may be increased to 3.6 million passengers in the future.
Riyadh has nearly 6 million inhabitants, and the population is expected to cross the 8 million-mark in 2030.
The plan is to reduce traffic congestion, enhance economic dynamism of the capital and improve the general quality of life. One of the world’s largest turnkey metro projects, this fully automatic driverless network will be 170-km long and include 87 stations.

Riyadh Metro project going ahead full steam | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[Arabian Legend]

Riyadh Metro construction began

 

[Arabian Legend]

 

[al-Hasani]

@Arabian Legend

Let us see if there will be no delays. Something tells me that there will.

 

[Arabian Legend]

@Arabian Legend

Let us see if there will be no delays. Something tells me that there will.

The work is undergoing as fast as it could and will hopefully finish on time as planned.

No worry.

 

[Finer]

I have three questions;

1. Isn't this new technology bida'h?

2. Would women be allowed to travel on these subways considering they are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia? If women are allowed on new transportation system then how is ban on women driving justified?

3. Isn’t it funny that one of the companies involved is Samsung from Korea? Koreans would be laughing their head off realising Saudis are trying to convert Koreans to their supposedly superior Shariah while unable to make even a needle on their own; non-Muslims have to come over and do everything for Saudis. Lot of good wahabi Shariah is doing to Saudis.

I don't know why people sees this as bad news. This is opportunity for overseas, better financial benefits. The benefits in Saudi Arabia, especially contracted by companies in Saudi Arabia is incomparable on world-scale.

 

[al-Hasani]

I don't know why people sees this as bad news. This is opportunity for overseas, better financial benefits. The benefits in Saudi Arabia, especially contracted by companies in Saudi Arabia is incomparable on world-scale.

You are answering a banned user mate.