Saudi Arabia's Rail Network Carries 83M Passengers in H1 2026, Up 16%

Saudi Arabia's rail network carried more than 83 million passenger journeys in the first half of 2026, up at least 16% from the same period a year earlier, according to Transport General Authority figures reported by the Saudi Press Agency.

The network carried more than 45 million passengers in the first quarter and 38 million in the second, compared with roughly 35 million and 36.5 million in the equivalent 2025 quarters. Urban rail dominated the total, accounting for about 78 million of the 83 million journeys, with the Riyadh Metro alone carrying more than 60.7 million passengers over the six months.

Freight volumes also grew, with the network moving about 7.7 million tonnes of minerals and other goods during H1 2026.

The figures reflect the continued ramp-up of Saudi Arabia's rail investment under its Vision 2030 economic diversification programme, which has prioritized urban transit expansion in Riyadh alongside longer-distance passenger and freight lines linking the kingdom's major cities and industrial centres.