By the end of 2018, Saudi Arabia’s capital city is expected to launch one of the world’s biggest mass transit systems.
Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) approved the metro network and a brand new bus system being built and implemented simultaneously in 2012 after forecasts of a 50 percent jump in the city’s population in 20 years.
Riyadh has been witnessing an unprecedented population growth and demographic experts believe the number of people living in the city to rise to 8.3 million in 2030 from the current 6 million. The population explosion has been responsible for growth in many sectors that seek to meet people’s needs and aspirations, including the transport sector, Al-Riyadh daily reports.
The Riyadh Metro Rail project will have a total length of 176 kilometers with six different lines operating on the network and 85 stations. It is one of the largest metro rail networks under construction around the world.
To build the system from scratch, the Saudi government awarded contracts to a number of top engineering companies from around the world. The largest of the contracts, worth a whopping $10 billion, was awarded to the US-based Bechtel.
Work on the project began in 2014, and is expected to complete by the end of 2018. More info
Source: Â www.bhatkallys.com
