RIYADH: The Saudi Railway Company, also known as SAR, has signed a cooperation agreement with ride-hailing platform Careem to offer passengers additional transportation services after they arrive at its stations.
The aim is to make it easier and for passengers to travel on from railway stations to their final destinations, according to a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.
The first phase of the agreement covers North Train stops in Riyadh and Qassim, and Eastern Train stations in Riyadh, Dammam and Hofuf. Phase two of the agreement will expand the service to stations in Al-Majmaah, Hail, Al-Jawf and Qurayyat on the North Train line, and Abqaiq on the East Train route, for a year.
The new passenger transportation service allows SAR customers to easily book a ride to their final destination ahead of their arrival at a station. Careem, which is owned by Uber, will provide reception areas at stations for the new service, with clear signs guiding passengers to them from platforms.
Abdulmajid Al-Khathlan, SAR’s director-general of commercial operations for the passenger sector, said that the agreement will improve the service provided to passengers, help them arrive at their final destinations in a timely manner, and enhance the logistics sector.
Ghaith Al-Juhani, the general manager of Careem in Saudi Arabia, said that the collaboration is an example of the company’s role in supporting the transport system and providing the best and easiest solutions for travelers.
He added that it represents a new way of thinking about the best methods of travel and transportation, and is helping to create a unique experience from which passengers will benefit.
Saudi Railway Co. and Careem launch joint passenger transport service
https://arab.news/ygabd
Saudi Railway Co. and Careem launch joint passenger transport service
- Rail passengers will be able to book a Careem ride to take them to their final destination before they arrive at a station
- Special reception areas will be provided at stations covered by the service, which includes stops on the North Train and East Train lines
Work suspended on Riyadh’s massive Mukaab megaproject: Reuters
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has suspended planned construction of a colossal cube-shaped skyscraper at the center of a downtown development in Riyadh while it reassesses the project's financing and feasibility, four people familiar with the matter said.
The Mukaab was planned as a 400-meter by 400-meter metal cube containing a dome with an AI-powered display, the largest on the planet, that visitors could observe from a more than 300-meter-tall ziggurat — or terraced structure —inside it.
Its future is now unclear, with work beyond soil excavation and pilings suspended, three of the people said. Development of the surrounding real estate is set to continue, five people familiar with the plans said.
The sources include people familiar with the project's development and people privy to internal deliberations at the PIF.
Officials from PIF, the Saudi government and the New Murabba project did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Real estate consultancy Knight Frank estimated the New Murabba district would cost about $50 billion — roughly equivalent to Jordan’s GDP — with projects commissioned so far valued at around $100 million.
Initial plans for the New Murabba district called for completion by 2030. It is now slated to be completed by 2040.
The development was intended to house 104,000 residential units and add SR180 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP, creating 334,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030, the government had estimated previously.
(With Reuters)
