Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has officially awarded the contract to expand the Red Line of the Riyadh Metro. The extension adds 8.4 kilometres and five new stations. It will link Riyadh’s main areas with the Diriyah Gate Development project, a major heritage and tourism site. The Red Line, also called Line 2, currently runs along King Abdullah Road and serves key urban districts. The extension will stretch westward from King Saud University to Diriyah. Five new stations will open—two at the university and three in Diriyah. One Diriyah station is planned as an interchange with the future Line 7. The project includes about 7.1 km of underground tunnels and 1.3 km of elevated track. Construction is expected to take six years. A major goal is to strengthen urban transport and improve access to Diriyah, once Saudi Arabia’s original capital and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Diriyah is being developed as a top cultural and tourist hub under Saudi Vision 2030. “Journeys from central Riyadh stations such as STC Station to Diriyah are expected to take less than 15 minutes,” officials said. Trips from the King Abdullah Financial District are expected to be under 20 minutes. The project aims to reduce congestion and promote sustainable transport. The contract was awarded to an international consortium led by Italy’s Webuild Group. The team includes India’s Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Saudi NESMA, and France’s Alstom. The extension will integrate into Riyadh’s fully automated, six-line metro network. The five new stations will serve educational, cultural, and heritage areas. At King Saud University, stations will serve the medical city and health colleges. The Diriyah stops will connect heritage zones with Riyadh’s transit grid. With construction underway, the Red Line extension will boost the public transport network, ease travel, and support Riyadh’s urban transformation goals under Vision 2030. This project marks a big step towards modern, eco-friendly transportation in the Saudi capital.