Transport in Saudi Arabia

File:Medina Road - Jeddah - Saudi Arabia.jpg]]

In 1921, King Abdulaziz introduced the first car in Saudi Arabia. However, by the time the Kingdom was established in 1932, there were still less than {{convert|30|miles|km}} of paved roadways in the country.{{cite web |url=https://www.saudiembassy.net/transportation-communication#:~:text=At%20the%20time%20of%20the,air%2C%20marine%20and%20public%20transport. |title=Transportation & Communication |website=saudiembassy.net |publisher=Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C. |access-date=October 9, 2023 |archive-date=April 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406150132/https://www.saudiembassy.net/transportation-communication#:~:text=At%20the%20time%20of%20the,air%2C%20marine%20and%20public%20transport. |url-status=dead }} Cars eventually supplanted camels as the main mode of transport in the Kingdom in the 1950s, with a major uptick in car ownership occurring in the 1970s.{{cite web |url= https://english.alarabiya.net/amp/variety/2018/02/13/When-the-first-car-was-introduced-to-Saudi-Arabia-98-years-ago|title=When the first car was introduced to Saudi Arabia 98 years ago |last=Al-Harby |first=Mohamed |date=February 13, 2018 |website= english.alarabiya.net|publisher= Al Arabiya English|access-date= October 9, 2023}} The roads of Saudi Arabia gradually became the defining feature of the kingdom's transport system as the main population centres are not only scattered all over the country but also because they faced a major challenge from the geography of the country itself; separated by deserts, valleys and mountains, among other landforms. Due to this, a reliable road network became more important and essential than other modes of transport in the kingdom.{{Cite web|last=Aldagheiri|first=M.|title=The role of transport roads network in the economic development in Saudi Arabia|url=https://asc.qu.edu.sa/files/shares/The%20role%20of%20transport%20roads%20network.pdf|website=Qassim University College of Arabic and Sociology|access-date=2020-08-10|archive-date=2020-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725180739/https://asc.qu.edu.sa/files/shares/The%20role%20of%20transport%20roads%20network.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Saudi Arabia had encouraged road transport in the past by maintaining one of the lowest petrol prices in the world. Despite raising prices in 2018,{{Cite news|title=Saudi Arabia hikes fuel price|work=Saudi Gazette|url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/525180/SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-hikes-fuel-price}} it is worth noting that due to limited alternative passenger transport options in the country, the gasoline fuel demand is relatively inelastic to its prices;{{Cite journal|author=Algunaibet, Ibrahim, Walid Matar|date=2017|title=The responsiveness of fuel demand to gasoline price change in passenger transport: a case study of Saudi Arabia|journal=Energy Efficiency |volume=11 |issue=6 |pages=1341–1358 |doi=10.1007/s12053-018-9628-6}} light-duty vehicles dominate the passenger transport landscape. Buses and other public transport options are limited, and walking or bicycles are hindered by the urban landscapes and harsh weather in most regions of the country.

The development of the Saudi road network can be divided into two major phases; i.e. the expansion of the modern road network from 1938 to 1970, preceding the initial development plans conceived by the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, and the development and expansion after the introduction of the plans (after 1970). The two stages, pre-national planning and postnational planning, relate to the historical circumstances of the economic, political and social demands of the kingdom. The activity during the second stage greatly exceeds that during the first owing to the existence of coordinated plans, high investment and concentration of effort.

The Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services in 2014 maintained a total estimated road length of 627,000 km, of which 151,000 km were highways linking major regions of Saudi Arabia with international borders and serving as interconnecting roads between the major Saudi Arabian cities; 102,000 km were secondary roads linking major cities with other smaller cities in their respective provinces; 374,000 km were feeder roads branching out of secondary roads and serving towns, villages & agricultural areas. Another 204,000 km of roads was under construction by the end of fiscal year 2014. The Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services maintains 151,000 km of major roads linking the major Saudi Arabian cities and the kingdom to its neighbors.

Most of these highways are two-lane highways, and some of them are not separated by median strips. The Ministry of Transport has been working on a project to gradually modernize these roads. Highway 10 currently holds the record for world's longest straight road, with the {{Cvt|256|km||abbr=}} section from Haradh to the Batha' border with UAE cutting through the Rub' al-Khali desert, beating the previous record holder, Australia's Eyre Highway, by {{Cvt|110|km||abbr=}}.{{Cite web|date=2018-03-11|title=Saudi Arabia home to the world's longest straight road|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1263776/offbeat|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Arab News|language=en}} On 19 February 2018, the speed limit on sections of Highway 5, Highway 15, Highway 40 and Highway 65 was increased from 120 km/h (75 mph) to 140 km/h (87 mph).{{Cite news|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1249|title=Arab News}}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{main|Rail transport in Saudi Arabia}}

File:Ferrocarril del hiyaz EN.PNG

The first railway line in the kingdom predates the unification of Saudi Arabia. The 1,050 mm (3 ft 5¹¹⁄₃₂ in) narrow-gauge Hejaz railway, that ran from Damascus to Medina, began construction in 1900 under the Ottoman Empire Hejaz Vilayet, and was completed in 1908. A proposal to further extend the line to Mecca was made, but was never materialized. The southern portion of the line was mostly destroyed during the World War I. A few sections of the track remain, with some sections in Jordan being used up to today. The stations in Mada'in Salih and Medina have been converted into museums (Hejaz Railway Museum and Mada'in Salih Railway Station), each having some locomotives and rolling stock from the original railway.{{Cite web|title=Railways in Saudi Arabia|url=https://www.sinfin.net/railways/world/saudi.html|access-date=2020-08-19|website=www.sinfin.net}}{{cite web|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/286628|title=Move Under Way To Restore Madain Saleh Railway Station|date=June 22, 2006|website=Arab News}}

The first railway line built and completed under Saudi rule was the {{Cvt|569|km||abbr=}} Dammam-Riyadh line, which began construction in 1947. It was inaugurated on October 20, 1951, by King Abdulaziz. This was before the formation of the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO), and the railway line was run and maintained by Saudi Aramco, before being entrusted to the Ministry of Finance. On May 13, 1966, a royal decree established the SRO, a public corporation that now runs the line. The main railway stations for passengers opened in Riyadh, Dammam, and Hofuf in 1981. The modern passenger line between Riyadh and Dammam measuring {{Cvt|449|km||abbr=}} was completed in 1985.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-20|title=Saudi railways approach 67th anniversary, play large role in linking cities|url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/1375306/saudi-arabia|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Arab News|language=en}}

The other conventional railway line in the kingdom is the North–South line, also known as the Riyadh–Qurayyat line, which runs from the capital Riyadh to border with Jordan at Hadithah via Buraidah, Ḥaʼil and Qurayyat, with feeder lines to multiple phosphate mining and bauxite mining locations in the northern parts of the kingdom. The largest feeder line connects the main line to the port city of Ra's Al-Khair, near Jubail, giving the line a total length of more than {{Cvt|2750|km||abbr=}}. The only high-speed railway line in the kingdom, the Haramain High Speed Railway, was completed in 2017, and connects the two Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina via the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City near Rabigh.

File:Rail transport map of Saudi Arabia.pngThe historic 1,300 km (810 mi) 1,035 mm (3 ft 5¹¹⁄₃₂ in) narrow-gauge Ottoman Hejaz railway was mostly destroyed during World War I and its stations in Mada'in Salih and Medina have been converted to museums. Within two decades of the unification of Saudi Arabia, the first Dammam–Riyadh line was completed in 1951, and was {{Cvt|569|km||abbr=}} long. This line was later converted to only be used for freight transport, with a new, shorter, {{Cvt|449|km||abbr=}} line being completed in 1985, exclusively for the transport of passengers. The other passenger line in the kingdom is the Riyadh–Qurayyat line, which runs through the middle of the country connecting the capital Riyadh to Ha'il, Al-Majma'ah, the Al-Jawf Province and Jordan via Qurayyat. It is the longest line in the Saudi rail network, and with a feeder line connecting it to the port of Ra's al-Khair, its total length comes up to around 2,750 km (1,710 mi). The North–South line uses portions of the Riyadh–Qurayyat line and connects the main line to phosphate and bauxite mining locations in the northern reaches of the kingdom.

Apart from mass transit systems such as metros, the only high-speed railway line in the kingdom is the Haramain High Speed Railway, construction of which was completed in 2017. The line is 453 km (281 mi) long and connects the two Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina via the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the King Abdullah Economic City.

{{see also|List of airports in Saudi Arabia|List of airlines of Saudi Arabia}}

File:Dammam0136.jpg, the largest airport in the world by area]]

Saudi Arabia is served by three major international airports: the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, and the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, which is also the largest airport in the world by area.{{Cite web|title=The largest airport in the world: Middle Eastern airports that set records {{!}} OxfordSaudia Flight Academy|url=https://www.oxfordsaudia.com/en/blog/largest-airport-world/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=OxfordSaudia|language=en-GB}} In addition to these three major airports, several smaller airports, providing both domestic and international connections, are present throughout the kingdom, such as the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina and the Taif International Airport in Taif among others.

File:Aramco Plane 1.jpg Aviation Boeing 737 aircraft at Shaybah]]

The Saudi Arabian flag carrier, Saudia, began operations in 1945 with a single twin-engine Douglas DC-3 Dakota gifted by President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt.{{Cite web|title=Transportation & Communication|url=https://www.saudiembassy.net/transportation-communication|access-date=19 August 2020|website=Saudi Embassy|archive-date=6 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406150132/https://www.saudiembassy.net/transportation-communication|url-status=dead}} Today, the airline operates a fleet of over 140 aircraft, transporting more than 34 million passengers annually to 95 destinations worldwide.{{Cite web|title=SAUDIA|url=https://www.saudia.com/TRAVEL-WITH-SAUDIA/Where-we-fly/flight-destinations/Flights_Destinations_SA_en.html|access-date=2020-08-19|website=www.saudia.com|archive-date=2020-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622082248/https://www.saudia.com/TRAVEL-WITH-SAUDIA/Where-we-fly/flight-destinations/Flights_Destinations_SA_en.html|url-status=dead}} In 2023, Riyadh Air was established as the country's second flag carrier.{{Cite web |title=HRH Crown Prince Announces “Riyadh Air” – New National Carrier |url=https://www.riyadhair.com/en/media-hub/hrh-crown-prince-announces--riyadh-air----new-national-carrier-t |website=Riyadh Air |access-date=31 May 2025}}

Saudi Arabia is also served by several low-cost airlines, including Flynas and Flyadeal. In addition to these public carriers, Saudi Aramco operates its own private airline, Saudi Aramco Aviation, which manages a fleet of seven aircraft and multiple helicopters. The company maintains its own terminals at various locations and uses the airline primarily to transport employees to remote sites such as Shaybah, Yanbu, and Tanajib.

In 2019, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched the first commercial helicopter that will serve to transport customers within the major Saudi cities and to take them to different tourism destinations.{{Cite web|date=2019-03-11|title=Saudi Public Investment Fund launches Kingdom's first commercial helicopter operator|url=http://www.arabnews.com/node/1465166/saudi-arabia|access-date=2019-03-12|website=Arab News|language=en}}

In 2019 Saudi Arabia had 103 million air passengers.{{Cite web |title=Saudi Arabia: annual air passengers 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1171847/saudi-arabia-annual-air-passengers/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=Statista |language=en}}

File:Jeddah-seaport-saudiarabia.PNG]]

Historically, the area that is now Saudi Arabia was situated close to one end of the Silk Road, and the ports here made the many tribes in the region wealthy as they profited off the spice trade. Saudi Arabia is one of several countries without any rivers, however there are several wadis spread throughout the country that fill up during the rainy season of winter. However, due to their unstable nature, they are neither classified nor used as waterways. The Jeddah Islamic Port was the main gateway to pilgrims making the journey to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina before the advent of jet aircraft, and is said to have been given that status by the third Rashidun caliph, Uthman.{{Cite web|title=Jeddah Islamic Port|url=http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/review/SAU_Jeddah_Islamic_Port_281.php|access-date=2020-08-19|website=World Port Source|archive-date=2020-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223125937/http://worldportsource.com/ports/review/SAU_Jeddah_Islamic_Port_281.php|url-status=dead}} One of the first ports built under the kingdom was located in Khobar, and was used to transport petroleum to Bahrain. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) was founded in 1976 as a government agency to oversee and maintain the kingdom's ports, and it currently maintains nine ports throughout the kingdom.{{Cite web|title=Introduction to the Ports Authority|url=https://www.ports.gov.sa/section/full_story.cfm?aid=74&catid=22|website=Saudi Ports Authority|access-date=2020-08-19|archive-date=2012-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220052406/http://www.ports.gov.sa/section/full_story.cfm?aid=74&catid=22|url-status=dead}} Several other ports are not maintained by Mawani but by other entities, such as the King Abdullah Port in the King Abdullah Economic City near Rabigh.

Like all states in the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia does not have any rivers or inland waterways. This has not stopped the kingdom from pursuing the development of a water transportation network, primarily constructed to support the transport of petrochemicals. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) runs and manages the major ports in the country, overseeing their operations. There are some other ports in the kingdom managed by other entities, such as the King Abdullah Port. The largest port on the Persian Gulf, the King Abdulaziz Port, is located in Dammam.{{Cite web|last=nationsonline.org|title=Map of the Persian Gulf|url=https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/Persian-Gulf-Map.htm|access-date=2020-08-19|website=Nations Online Project|language=en-us}}

File:Bus SAPTCO Koridor Saqifah Bani Sa'idah - Jalan Raya Tabuk.jpg|248x248px]]

The Saudi Public Transport Company, known by its abbreviation (SAPTCO), established in 1979 by a royal decree, operates a fleet of more than 4,500 vehicles{{Cite web|title=Company profile|url=https://www.saptco.com.sa/About-Us/Company-Profile.aspx|access-date=19 August 2020|website=SAPTCO, About Us|archive-date=25 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200825023816/https://saptco.com.sa/About-Us/Company-Profile.aspx|url-status=dead}} with multiple routes throughout the kingdom. It transports approximately 8 million people monthly between the major cities of the kingdom.{{Cite web|date=27 June 2018|title=Eight (8) Million Passengers transported by SAPTCO during Ramadan 1439|url=https://www.saptco.com.sa/MediaCenter/News/news194.aspx|access-date=19 August 2020|website=SAPTCO Media Center}}{{Dead link|date=August 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In addition to the transnational routes, SAPTCO also operates 10 international routes which transport approximately 500,000 people between the kingdom and the neighbouring Gulf states. SAPTCO operates special bus services during the Hajj pilgrimage, which carry approximately 15,000 pilgrims between the holy sites. One of Saudi Arabia's most sophisticated bus networks is that of the city of Medina, with 10 lines connecting different regions of the city. It serves approximately 20,000 passengers on a daily basis.{{Cite web|title=حافلات المدينة|url=https://madinabuses.mda.gov.sa/|access-date=2020-08-19|website=madinabuses.mda.gov.sa|archive-date=2021-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603050406/https://madinabuses.mda.gov.sa/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|date=2019-05-19|title=20 ألف مستفيد يوميا من النقل الترددي بالمدينة|url=https://makkahnewspaper.com/article/1103561/البلد/20-ألف-مستفيد-يوميا-من-النقل-الترددي-بالمدينة|access-date=2020-08-19|website=صحيفة مكة|language=ar}}

SATPCO buses are gender-segregated.

File:Damman City2.JPG, 2008]]

File:Green Taxi Riyadh 2024.jpg, 2024]]

Taxis are available in all major cities of the kingdom, in addition to the presence of private companies that offer vehicle hiring services, such as Uber and Careem (which is a subsidiary of Uber), and ChaCha Taxi, a locally known provider focused on accessible and reliable transport.{{cite web |url=https://chachataxi.com/ |title=Online Taxi Service in Saudi Arabia |access-date=4 November 2024}} A reflection of gender inequality, men travelling solo may sit in the passenger seat, but women are expected to sit in the rear seat.{{cite web |url=https://www.expatica.com/sa/living/transportation/public-transportation-in-saudi-arabia-74944/#taxis |title=Taxis and ride-hailing services in Saudi Arabia |access-date=2021-09-02}} Before the reform in early 2020, Saudi cabs did not have meters; the price was agreed to up front and trips had to be booked in advance because of a 2012 "no hailing" regulation.{{cite web| url = https://www.justlanded.com/english/Saudi-Arabia/Saudi-Arabia-Guide/Travel-Leisure/Public-transport-in-Saudi-Arabia| title = Public transport in Saudi Arabia}} Women had also been required to be accompanied by a male relative or another woman.

The Mecca Metro, became the first rapid transit system to enter operation in Saudi Arabia after the completion of The Sacred Sites Line (S) line in 2010. Other rapid transit systems currently in operation and development in the kingdom include:

• The Riyadh Metro, consisting of six lines serve the capital city of Riyadh, which is started its operations on 1 December 2024.{{Cite web|title=Riyadh metro mega-project to be fully operational by 2021|url=https://www.thenational.ae/business/travel-and-tourism/riyadh-metro-mega-project-to-be-fully-operational-by-2021-1.711522|access-date=2020-08-19|website=The National|date=8 March 2018 |language=en}}
• A three-line project called Medina Metro in extension to the public transportation master plan in Medina, announced by the MMDA in 2015 but works hasn't started yet.{{Cite web|title=هيئة تطوير المدينة المنورة تطرح تنفيذ 3 خطوط مترو و200 محطة للحافلات|url=https://aawsat.com/home/article/326216/%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%A6%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%B7%D8%B1%D8%AD-%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B0-3-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%B7-%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%88-%D9%88200-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B7%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA|access-date=2020-08-19|website=الشرق الأوسط|language=ar}}
• The Jeddah Metro, is a proposed metro system in the city of Jeddah, announced in 2013 but works hasn't started yet.

The development of a road network plays an important role in the economic development of a country and therefore, the mileage of paved roads existing in a country is often used as an index to assess the extent of its development. The proper development of transport road network not only reduces the cost of transportation both in terms of money and time but also helps in the integration of various regions within the country and better understanding of neighbouring countries at the international level. The transport road network in Saudi Arabia contributed to the development of the country by bringing in direct benefits from its role in the development of some sectors such as minerals, agriculture, industry and commerce.

{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}

• Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services
• Saudi Ports Authority
• Saudi Arabia Railways
• Saudi Public Transport Company
• Saudi Space Agency

{{reflist}}

{{Saudi Arabia topics}}

{{Asia topic|Transport in}}

{{Rail transport in Saudi Arabia}}

In recent years, the demand for private taxi services and online booking platforms has increased significantly, especially in cities like Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.{{cite web |title=Taxi Services in Saudi Arabia |url=https://taxiserviceksa.com |website=Taxi Service KSA |access-date=2025-05-02}}

• [https://www.gcs.gov.sa/Documents/Maps/Road%20Map%20HR.pdf A detailed map of the Saudi highway network can be found here]{{Dead link|date=April 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
• [http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/airports/middleeast/saudiarabia.htm A list of major airports and military airbases can be found here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812050950/http://www.aircraft-charter-world.com/airports/middleeast/saudiarabia.htm |date=2020-08-12 }}

{{Commons category|Transport in Saudi Arabia}}