Riyadh's driverless metro to open three lines this week

The first phase of the driverless Riyadh metro will open on Wednesday, with three of its six lines available for commuters, the project's official page on social media platform X announced on Saturday.

In October, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistics, Saleh bin Nasser AI Jasser, said the project was in its "final phases" and was undergoing tests.

Once fully operational, the Riyadh metro is expected to be the largest in the world to be completed in a single phase and is expected to boost the value of commercial and residential real estate in the Saudi capital, especially in areas where it is immediately accessible.

In its first phase, the metro will cater for up to 1.2 million passengers a day, and more than twice that figure once completed, spanning a total of 176km and 84 stations.

"The metro network will cover most of the densely populated areas, public facilities, and the educational, commercial and medical institutions," the project's website reads.

"The network will be connected to King Khalid International Airport and King Abdullah Financial District, the main universities, downtown Riyadh, and the public transport centre."

It will also include 80 bus routes and pass through 2,860 stops with 842 buses.

The transport network aims to keep up with Riyadh's growing population, which is expected to reach 15 to 20 million by 2030, from 7.5 million in 2023.