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Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has signed contracts worth about SR5.5bn ($1.5bn) to procure 94 additional trains for the Riyadh Metro network.

Germany’s Siemens and France’s Alstom have been awarded the contracts. They cover rolling stock manufacture, onboard systems, equipment and related services.

The procurement will increase the metro fleet from 183 to 277 trains. Deliveries are due to begin in phases in 2028, with the additional units subject to testing and operational trials before entering service.

RCRC expects the programme to increase the network’s passenger capacity by 60%.

The additional trains will be distributed across the six metro lines based on current demand and projected ridership.

The Red Line will receive the largest capacity increase, at 142%, followed by the Yellow Line at 116% and the Blue Line at 60%. Capacity on the Orange and Purple lines will increase by 27% and 16%, respectively.

Daily capacity on the Blue Line is set to increase from about 340,000 to 533,000 passengers. Capacity on the Red Line will rise from 154,000 to 370,000 passengers a day, while the Yellow Line will increase from 133,000 to more than 288,000.

The expansion is intended to meet rising demand for public transport as Riyadh prepares to host Expo 2030 and the 2034 Fifa World Cup, alongside continued growth in residential, commercial and entertainment developments.

Speaking at the 37th government press conference, RCRC chief executive Ibrahim Al-Sultan said the metro has carried more than 300 million passengers since it began operating.

Average metro ridership rose by about 25% in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, he added.

The wider Riyadh public transport system, including buses and the metro, is approaching 500 million passenger journeys.

MEED’s October 2026 report on Saudi Arabia includes:

> COMMENT: Saudi projects hold steady
> GOVERNMENT: Riyadh looks to reset its regional defence outlook
> ECONOMY: Conflict bolsters case for Saudi economic diversification
> BANKING: Saudi lenders readjust to lower lending and deposit climate
> UPSTREAM: Aramco upstream spending gathers pace
> DOWNSTREAM: Sabic steps up Saudi petchems investment
> POWER: Saudi Arabia’s power award activity slows
> WATER: Saudi water sector hits sharp slowdown
> CONSTRUCTION: Saudi construction defies the headwinds
> TRANSPORT: Saudi infrastructure pushes forward amid conflict
> DATABANK: Saudi data indicates project spending shift