Saudi Arabia Railways and Uber roll out new passenger transport service

The two-year agreement will initially cover stations in Riyadh, Dammam, Qassim and Hofuf

A fast train to Dammam waits by the platform at Riyadh railway station. Getty

Saudi Arabia Railways has teamed up with Uber to transport passengers from the train stations to their final destinations.

Under the partnership, agreed for an initial two years, the ride-hailing company will serve Riyadh and Qassim on the northern line and Riyadh, Hofuf and Dammam on the eastern route, SAR said in a statement on Tuesday.

The service will enable rail passengers to use the Uber mobile app to book onward transport directly, before reaching their destination stations.

Three sites in the arrival area of the stations will be allocated for the cars.

The agreement is part of SAR’s plans to attract more people to travel by rail, Khaled Al Harbi, the company’s senior vice president for passenger transport, said.

Its second phase is expected to cover Al Majmaah, Hail, Al Jawf, Qurayyat and Abqaiq.

“Co-operation with the public transport sector and providers of mobility services between cities is at the heart of our vision, which aims to provide an integrated system for our clients with seamless mobility solutions," Muhammad Gazzaz, general manager of Uber in the kingdom, said.

“Our participation with SAR is an effective contribution to achieving this constructive vision, while providing the opportunity for SAR’s passengers to benefit from Uber’s technologies, which will expand the scope of transportation and provide more efficient access to the platform.”

SAR was established in 2006 to construct, operate and manage a passenger and freight rail network linking the northern region of the kingdom with both the eastern and central regions, providing an integrated transport solution for passengers, minerals, petroleum and petrochemical products.

Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, is diversifying its economy away from oil. It is investing in its rail, air and road transport links as it seeks to become a global logistics hub.