Page 28 - U4SSC Factsheet, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 2020

Category KPI Result Performance to Benchmark SDG

Shared Vehicles
(per 100 000 0.00
inhabitants)
Low-Carbon Emission
Passenger Vehicles 0.00 %

With its grid system of wide roads and highways, modern Riyadh was designed as an automobile-
oriented city. This is reflective in the fact that the significant majority of trips in the city are taken by car.
The data also shows that there is room for improvement when it comes to the diffusion and utilization
of ICTs in Riyadh's road and transportation infrastructure.

Optimizing transport: Traffic anti-congestion measures including adaptive traffic control or prioritazation
measures are in the process of being employed by the city, as part of the Riyadh Development Authority
(RDA) Traffic Management programmes that are explained briefly in the section on ‘Goals and Projects
for a Smart Sustainable Future’.

Riyadh has also invested heavilty in expanding its public transport network. The Riyadh Metro project
will become operational in 2020. It will see 6 metro lines over 176 km incorporating 85 stations. The
opening capacity is expected to be 1.16 million passeners per day, going to a maximum of 3.6 million
passengers per day. The bus network will see 24 lines introduced, covering 1 230 km over 6 700 stops
throughout the city. Over 950 state-of-the-art ICT-enabled and and enviromentally friendly buses will
run through this network. 5 control and operation centres will manage the movement of all trains and
buses, utilizing:

• supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) architecture;

• 1 600 telephone and intercom units;
• 600 access control and intrusion detection units;

• 9 200 public address units;
• 3 800 passenger information units,

• 10 000 CCTV surveillance cameras;
• early warning systems;

• fire extinguishing systems; and
• tunnel safety systems.

It is recommended that, in addition to the above, Riyadh also incentivize vehicle sharing services and
carpool programmes as alternatives to high private vehicle usage.

Electric vehicles (EVs) will further help reduce the exhaust emissions that contribute to climate change
and smog, thereby improving public health and reducing ecological damage, especially when renewable

22 U4SSC Factsheet | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | June 2020