Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public

Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public
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The Red Line is 25.1 km long and runs from east to west along King Abdullah Road, connecting King Fahd Sports City to King Saud University across 15 stations, including the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.(Supplied)
Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public
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The Green Line, along King Abdulaziz Road, is 13.3 km long and runs from King Abdullah Road, past the Ministry of Education, all the way to the National Museum.(X: @RiyadhTransport)
Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public
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Minister of Education Yousef Al-Benyan takes the Red Line of the Riyadh Metro, from King Saud University Station to the Ministry of Education Station.(X: @RiyadhTransport)
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Updated 15 December 2024
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Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public

Riyadh Metro’s Red and Green lines open to public
  • Network to be fully operational with Orange Line launch on Jan. 5, 2025

RIYADH: The Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced the roll-out of two additional lines —Red: King Abdullah Road and Green: King Abdulaziz Road — of the Riyadh Metro on Sunday.

Passengers have access to stations on the two lines from 6 a.m. to midnight, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Riyadh Metro, a key pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, is a crucial step toward reducing traffic congestion in the capital and improving the quality of life for the city’s residents.

With this addition, five out of the six metro lines are now operational.

The Red Line is 25.1 km long and runs from east to west along King Abdullah Road, connecting King Fahd Sports City to King Saud University across 15 stations, including the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

It intersects with the Blue Line at the STC Station, with the Green Line at the Ministry of Education Station, and with the Purple Line at Al-Hamra Station.

The Green Line, along King Abdulaziz Road, is 13.3 km long and runs from King Abdullah Road, past the Ministry of Education, all the way to the National Museum.

Its 12 stations serve several government entities, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as numerous commercial, service, and residential facilities.

All stations on the line were open to the public on Sunday, except for the Ministry of Finance and National Museum stations, which will become operational at a later date.

The Green Line intersects with the Red Line at the Ministry of Education Station and with the Blue Line at the National Museum Station.

According to the previously announced roll-out plan, the Orange Line, which covers Madinah Road, will open on Jan. 5, 2025, completing the Riyadh Metro network and making it fully operational.

Passengers can identify destinations and purchase tickets using the Darb mobile application or at Riyadh Metro stations.

The first phase of the Riyadh Metro began on Dec. 1 with three lines: the Blue Line, connecting Olaya Street to Al Batʼha; the Yellow Line, running along King Khalid International Airport Road; and the Purple Line, covering Abdul Rahman bin Awf Road and Al-Shaikh Hassan Bin Hussain Street.

The total length of Riyadh Metro’s six lines spans 176 km and includes 85 stations.


Tihama’s climate boosts honey production in Baha

Tihama’s climate boosts honey production in Baha
Updated 12 sec ago
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Tihama’s climate boosts honey production in Baha

Tihama’s climate boosts honey production in Baha

RIYADH: The moderate climate and abundant flowering trees in the Tihama area of the Baha region attract thousands of beekeepers with hives, creating an ideal environment for honey production from seasonal and mountainous blossoms.

Beekeeper Mohammed Al-Zahrani said that migration from the Sarawat Mountains to Tihama is driven by favorable climate, rainfall, and tree diversity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He added that this move revitalizes bees after the ziziphus spina-christi season when their population drops, offering fresh pastures for reproduction.

Beekeeper Ali Al-Ghamdi explained that relocating to the governorates of Qalwa, Al-Hujrah, and Wadi Al-Ahsabah provides bees with a year-round food supply and protection from the cold mountain temperatures that can be fatal.

He stressed that beekeeping requires endurance, knowledge, and experience but remains an important and valuable industry, the SPA reported.

Beekeeper Saleh Al-Omari highlighted the coordination among beekeepers in choosing apiary sites, ensuring proper spacing to prevent crossbreeding, promote nutrition, and avoid disease.

Mohammed Al-Shadwi, chairman of the Beekeepers Cooperative Association in Baha, said around 3,000 beekeepers are registered with the association, including professionals with over 1,000 hives and amateurs with about 100. They represent 16 percent of the Kingdom’s total beekeepers.

The region produces 20 percent of Saudi Arabia’s honey annually, totaling around 1,000 tonnes across 15 varieties, according to the SPA.


Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair
Updated 02 February 2025
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Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

Kingdom strengthens cultural ties at Delhi book fair

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission is taking part in the New Delhi World Book Fair, being held at Pragati Maidan from Feb. 1-9.

Its involvement is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cultural cooperation between the Kingdom and India, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

The commission aims to highlight Saudi Arabia’s role in the global cultural and literary landscape, raise awareness of its heritage and highlight its publications and contribution to the international literary scene. It also seeks to promote cultural and intellectual exchange between the two countries.

The commission’s pavilion features its literary and cultural initiatives, including “Tarjim” which supports Saudi Arabia’s translation movement. It also hosts sections dedicated to the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language and the King Fahd National Library.

Saudi Arabia was previously guest of honor at the 2024 New Delhi World Book Fair, where it organized various programs and events reflecting the Kingdom’s cultural and creative landscape.


Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit

Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit
Updated 32 min 46 sec ago
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Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit

Syrian Arab Republic president arrives in Saudi Arabia for first foreign visit
  • The president is accompanied by the country’s foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani

DUBAI: the president of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for his first foreign trip since taking office, local media reported.

Syrian Arab News Agency reported the president was accompanied by the country’s foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani.

Al-Sharaa will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, SANA reported.

A picture posted on social media platform X by the Syrian Arab Republic’s presidency showed Al-Sharaa and Al-Shaibani en route to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sharaa became president after the toppling of the regime of Bashar Assad in December last year.

Last month Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, visited Damascus and said the Kingdom was engaged in talks with the US and European partners to help lift economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian Arab Republic that have left the country’s economy decimated.


KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue
Updated 02 February 2025
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KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

KSrelief’s humanitarian and relief efforts continue

RIYADH: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center’s (KSrelief) humanitarian and relief efforts continue with the distribution of food, hygiene supplies as well as the provision of emergency transport services.

In in Ma’arrat Misrin of Syria’s Idlib Governorate, KSrelief handed out 672 food boxes and 672 hygiene kits as part of the second phase of the food aid and hygiene kit distribution project for populations affected by the earthquake in 2025.

In Lebanon’s Akkar Governorate and Miniyeh district, the aid agency during the past week distributed 175,000 bags of bread to Syrian and Palestinian refugees as well as residents of host communities. The initiative was part of the fourth phase of Al-Amal Charitable Bakery Project in the country.

In the Battagram and Buner districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as well as the Sukkur district in Sindh province of Pakistan, 2,160 food packages were given to families in flood-affected areas as part of the Food Security Support Project 2025

Meanwhile, KSrelief delivered 125 tonnes of dates to Sudan as a gift from the Kingdom.

In north Lebanon, the KSrelief-funded ambulance service of Subul Al-Salam Social Association in the Miniyeh district carried out 61 missions during the past week, including transporting patients to and from hospitals and treating burn injuries.


Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event

Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event
Updated 02 February 2025
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Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event

Female participation in Riyadh camel racing event
  • The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes

RIYADH: The number of women taking part in camel racing at the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Camel Festival this year has doubled compared to 2024, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The increase has led the organizing committee to add a second race which includes 18 Saudi female camel riders.

Organized by the Saudi Camel Federation, the festival’s second edition kicked off on Jan. 27 at the Janadriyah Camel Race Track in Riyadh. It will end on Wednesday, Feb. 5 with total prize money of more than SR70 million ($18.7 million) awarded.

The increase in the number of participating women camel riders has also contributed to a rise in the prizes. (SPA photo)

During last year’s festival, 15 female camel riders competed, representing Britain, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Yemen.

This year has seen 30 female riders from 12 countries take part: Algeria, Bahrain, Britain, France, Germany, Oman, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the UAE, US and Yemen.

The increase has contributed to a rise in the prize pot, with the first-placed female rider receiving SR60,000.