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Riyadh Metro Guide: Lines, Fares, Darb Cards and Hours

Riyadh Metro has six lines, 85 stations and a standard fare of SAR 4 for two hours. Here is how the lines, tickets, Darb card and train classes work.

Saudi Expats Team
October 23, 2026

Reviewed by Saudi Expats Team, October 22, 2026

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Riyadh Metro runs daily from about 6:00 am to midnight on six color-coded lines. A standard-class ticket costs SAR 4 for two hours, and the same ticket works on Riyadh buses. As of October 2026, this is what the sources show.

The six lines

The network is 176 km long with 85 stations. King Salman inaugurated it on 27 November 2024, and the lines opened in three stages (Gulf News, 30 Nov 2024):

  • 1 December 2024: Line 1 (Blue), Line 4 (Yellow), Line 6 (Purple).
  • 15 December 2024: Line 2 (Red), Line 5 (Green).
  • 5 January 2025: Line 3 (Orange), which completed the network.

What each line serves:

  • Blue (Line 1): the Olaya corridor.
  • Red (Line 2): King Abdullah Road.
  • Orange (Line 3): Madinah Road.
  • Yellow (Line 4): King Khalid International Airport. The airport has stations for Terminals 1 and 2, Terminals 3 and 4, and Terminal 5 (domestic flights) (KKIA).
  • Green (Line 5) and Purple (Line 6): shorter lines that connect to the others. Check the station map in the Darb app for their exact routes.

Where lines meet, you change trains within the station. Riyadh Metro's own ridership data names Qasr Al-Hokm, KAFD, stc and the National Museum as the busiest stations because they are transfer hubs (Argaam, Aug 2025). Ridership passed 100 million in under nine months.

Hours

The airport authority lists metro hours as 6:00 am to 12:00 midnight (KKIA). Hours can change during Ramadan and holidays, so check the Darb app before a late trip.

Fares and ticket types

Tickets cover both the metro and the Riyadh bus network. Standard class and first class prices, in SAR (KKIA, matching the November 2024 announcement):

  • 2-hour pass: 4 standard, 10 first class.
  • 3-day pass: 20 standard, 50 first class.
  • 7-day pass: 40 standard, 100 first class.
  • 30-day pass: 140 standard, 350 first class.

Children under six travel free with a fare-paying adult.

Longer passes started on 1 January 2026, announced by the Riyadh Public Transport Authority on 24 December 2025 (Gulf News):

  • Annual pass: SAR 1,260 standard, SAR 3,150 first class, open to all passengers.
  • Student semester pass: SAR 260, standard class only, for school and university students, valid four months from activation.

Both are sold through a registered account and come as a digital or plastic card.

Darb app and Darb card

  • Darb app: buy daily, weekly or monthly passes in the app (KKIA).
  • Darb card: a physical card sold at station ticket machines and ticket offices.
  • Contactless: the airport authority says you can tap a contactless bank card or a phone with Apple Pay at the gate.

A 2023 report on the bus launch gave the Darb card price as SAR 10, with top-ups from SAR 5 to SAR 500 (Gulf News). Confirm the current card price and top-up options at a machine, because that article predates the metro.

Train classes

Each train has first class, family class and single class areas, with glass partitions between them (Wikipedia). The names suggest the family area is for families and the single area for single passengers, but we could not find an official statement of the exact seating rules, including for women travelling alone. Follow the signs on the platform and ask station staff if unsure.

Riyadh Bus

Riyadh Bus launched on 19 March 2023 with more than 350 buses on 15 routes, and the network has grown since. The 2023 launch fare was also SAR 4 for two hours with transfers allowed, payable by Darb card, contactless card or the Riyadh Bus app (Gulf News, 2023). That article also lists a 50 percent discount for children aged 6 to 18, Saudi university students, older people and people of determination, with documents such as an Iqama or student ID. Ask whether the same categories apply on the metro before relying on it.

Practical tips

  1. Check the line map in the Darb app before choosing a neighborhood. Living within walking distance of a station on the Blue, Red or Orange line cuts a lot of driving.
  2. If you travel daily, price the 30-day pass (SAR 140 standard) against single trips. At SAR 4 per two-hour pass, about 35 separate trips cost the same.
  3. For the airport, take the Yellow Line and look for the terminal name on the station sign, since stations are split by terminal.
  4. For household budgeting, see the cost of living guide.

Sources

Facts in this guide were checked on 22 October 2026 against these pages. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the official page before you pay or apply.

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