Overview
Riyadh's metro is the centrepiece of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport, and it is the longest fully automated, driverless metro network in the world — a Guinness World Records title it earned in 2025. The system opened in phases between 1 December 2024 and 5 January 2025, and it now spans 176 kilometres (109 mi) across six colour-coded lines and 85 stations. It is the second metro system in Saudi Arabia, after the Sacred Sites Metro Line in Mecca.
Riding it end to end as a visitor is straightforward. You enter a station, tap through the fare gates with a contactless card or a Darb card, and ride to your destination; the trains are driverless, so there is no cab to watch and no timetable to memorise beyond the daily operating window. Trains run from 6 AM to midnight daily, with slightly later starts on Fridays. Stations are air-conditioned and designed to hold interior temperatures around 22–24 °C even when it exceeds 45 °C outside, and the network is monitored by cameras and control systems connected to a central control centre.
A word of realism: the metro is the backbone of the city's public transport, not the whole of it. Riyadh is large, hot, and walkable only in pockets, so a destination described as "near" a station may still be a 10–15 minute walk in extreme heat. Check distances before you commit, and keep a taxi app in reserve for the last stretch.
The network
The metro consists of six lines, each assigned a unique colour and number. Three international consortiums built them, and the rolling stock comes from Siemens, Bombardier (later Alstom), and Alstom.
- Line 1 (Blue Line) — runs north–south across the city, largely along Olaya Road, from SAB Bank to Ad Dar Al-Baida. It is roughly 38 km with about 25 stations and does not serve the airport.
- Line 2 (Red Line) — follows King Abdullah Road between King Saud University and King Fahad Sports City, at roughly 25 km and about 15 stations.
- Line 3 (Orange Line) — the longest line at about 41 km, running along Al Madinah Al Munawarah Road between Jeddah Road and Khashm Al-An, with about 22 stations. It was the final line to open, entering service on 5 January 2025.
- Line 4 (Yellow Line) — the airport line, running along Airport Road between King Khalid International Airport terminals and KAFD, at roughly 30 km and about 9 stations.
- Line 5 (Green Line) — a shorter east–west line along King Abdulaziz Road between the Ministry of Education and National Museum, at roughly 13 km and about 12 stations.
- Line 6 (Purple Line) — runs via Abdulrahman bin Auf and Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali streets between KAFD and An Naseem, at roughly 30 km and about 11 stations.
Key interchanges make the network usable as a whole. KAFD (King Abdullah Financial District) is the main hub, connecting Lines 1, 4, and 6 as well as the KAFD monorail. STC connects Lines 1 and 2, National Museum connects Lines 1 and 5, Qasr Al Hokm connects Lines 1 and 3, Al-Hamra connects Lines 2, 3, and 6, and Ministry of Education connects Lines 2 and 5.
Several stations are destinations in their own right. KAFD station, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, sits east of the Financial District along King Fahd Road near the Northern Ring Road. National Museum Station in the Al Batha area is one of the largest and most iconic, with a facade designed to evoke Saudi Arabia's mountainous regions and an adjacent bus terminal styled after a Bedouin tent. STC Station, named for the Saudi Telecom Company, sits at the intersection of King Abdullah Road with King Fahad Road and Olaya Street and has a public plaza with parking underneath.
Beyond the metro, the city's public transport includes the Riyadh Bus network — a three-line bus rapid transit system of about 85 km that was planned as an integrated companion to the metro, with the wider Riyadh Bus Project covering 1,900 km. Metro tickets include unlimited connecting Riyadh Bus rides, and those buses mostly shuttle to and from metro stops. The Darb app can help you find connecting transport from your metro stop. There is no tram, suburban rail, or ferry network covered in the sources for this guide; rail travel to and from Riyadh is intercity, operated by Saudi Arabia Railways, with services from Dammam, Ha'il, and Buraydah.
Tickets & fares
There are four standard fare categories, and every one of them includes unlimited trips on both the metro and Riyadh Bus for the period of validity. Fares are approximate and subject to change, but as of the network's launch they were:
- 2-hour journey — SAR 4
- 3-day pass — SAR 20
- 1-week pass — SAR 40
- 30-day pass — SAR 140
A First Class ticket gives access to the slightly more comfortable First Class carriage, separated from other classes by glass partitions. First Class fares were SAR 10 for a single journey and SAR 50 / 100 / 350 for the 3-day, 7-day, and 30-day passes respectively. Trains are divided into three classes — first, family, and single — so check which carriage you board.
You can pay in two main ways. Contactless bank cards are accepted directly at the entrance gates, or you can use the free Darb app or a physical Darb card, which costs SAR 10. The Darb app is available in the app stores, lets you select your destination and buy tickets for train trips, and doubles as a journey-planning tool for onward connections. There are no fare zones to worry about in the sources — the pricing is time-based rather than distance- or zone-based, which makes it simple to budget. There is no separately advertised tourist pass; the 3-day and 7-day passes effectively serve that purpose for short visits.
From the airport
King Khalid International Airport (RUH) lies about 35 km (22 mi) north of the city, and it is now served directly by the Yellow Line (Line 4) of the Riyadh Metro. There are metro stations serving all five terminals, and the ride whisks you to KAFD in downtown Riyadh for a mere SAR 4. From KAFD you can transfer to Lines 1 and 6 to reach other parts of the city.
If you prefer a taxi, expect the trip to the city to take about 30 minutes in good traffic. Official taxis are supposed to use a zone-based flat fare system, with most of central Riyadh in the SAR 45 or 55 zones, though the zone list is available only in Arabic; a metered fare to the city should cost SAR 70–90. In practice drivers often ask for a flat fare instead, which may work out slightly cheaper. Ride-hailing apps Uber and Careem are widely used alternatives. Be wary of private drivers soliciting inside and outside the terminal — if you agree a price, make sure it is genuinely agreed, and note that hotel limousines, when offered, are often not much more expensive than a taxi and considerably more comfortable.
One airport quirk to remember on departure: you must pass your bags through an X-ray before checking in, and after getting your boarding pass you go back through the same security gate in reverse to find immigration and departures. Don't go up the staircase — it leads only to the viewing lounge.
Etiquette & customs
Riyadh's metro is new, and riding customs are still settling in, but a few points will keep you comfortable and courteous.
- Carriage classes: Trains are split into first, family, and single class, separated by glass partitions. Board the carriage that matches your ticket and your travelling party.
- Queuing and boarding: Let passengers off before you board, and stand clear of the platform screen doors until the train has fully stopped.
- Escalators: Stand on the right and walk on the left, as is conventional in most metro cities.
- Priority seating: Give up seats to the elderly, pregnant women, and passengers with reduced mobility. Stations are equipped with stairs, lifts, and escalators to connect all levels and to serve people with special needs.
- Eating and drinking: Treat the trains and platforms as you would any clean, air-conditioned public space — keep food and drink out of the carriages and dispose of rubbish properly.
- Rush hour: The metro was expected to carry up to 3.6 million passengers a day at capacity, so peak trains can be busy. Move down the carriage rather than clustering at the doors, and keep your belongings close.
- Identification: Carry valid ID — passport, national ID, or Iqama — at all times. You may be asked to show it at checkpoints, and being unable to do so can cause serious problems.
- Heat: Stations are cooled to roughly 22–24 °C, so a light layer is useful if you have been out in the sun.
Official links
Survival terms
- Subway / metro — قطار الرياض (Qitar al-Riyadh)
- Ticket — تذكرة (tadhkira)
- Line — خط (khatt)
- Entrance — مدخل (madkhal)
- Exit — مخرج (makhraj)
- Transfer — تحويل (tahweel)
- Single fare — تذكرة رحلة واحدة (tadhkirat rihla wahida)
- Day pass — تذكرة يومية (tadhkira yawmiyya)
Buy a Darb card or load the Darb app on your first day, since it covers both the metro and the connecting Riyadh Bus network and will save you from fumbling for change at the gates.