Jeddah Metro Project Breathes New Life, Issues Preliminary Design Tender After a Decade

Jeddah: After the resounding success of Riyadh Metro, Saudi Arabia has revived its plan for the Jeddah Metro project after a decade in limbo. According to MEED, the Jeddah Development Authority issued a tender in early January for preliminary design consultancy on the Blue Line, a 35-kilometre route that will serve as a crucial link between King Abdulaziz International Airport and the Haramain High-Speed Railway station. Engineering firms have until March to submit their proposals.

The Blue Line represents the first leg of a sprawling vision conceived over a decade ago. When fully realized, the Jeddah Metro network will comprise four interconnected lines spanning more than 161 kilometres with 81 stations and 197 trains. The Orange Line will run 44.8 kilometres along Al-Madinah Road and Old Makkah Road with 29 stops, the Green Line will span 17 kilometres through the city centre with nine stops, and the Red Line will extend 59.7 kilometres from King Abdullah Stadium north to Old Makkah Street with 25 stops.

The Jeddah Metro concept first emerged in the early 2010s before being formally incorporated into a broader public transport programme in 2013-14. In 2014, French firm Systra was appointed to complete preliminary engineering work. That same year, US-based Aecom secured a $74 million contract to provide pre-programme management consultancy services, supporting early planning and design phases of the project.

In 2015, UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners was appointed to design the metro stations, bringing world-renowned design expertise to the project. However, progress slowed after 2015 as spending priorities were reassessed following the collapse of global oil prices.

The new tender signals a definitive restart of the project. The Blue Line will connect the airport directly to the Haramain railway station via 15 stations, creating a critical transit corridor for the city. The project is expected to reshape urban mobility in Saudi Arabia’s second-largest city and address long-standing congestion challenges while improving connectivity for both daily commuters and international passengers.

For Jeddah, long constrained by congestion and limited public transit options, the metro represents a transformative infrastructure investment.