Makkah Unveils Major Transport Vision With Airport and Metro Development

Makkah is set for a major transportation transformation with plans underway for a new international airport and metro system. The projects aim to improve mobility, enhance visitor experience, and support the city’s growing infrastructure needs in line with Saudi Vision 2030, while accommodating millions of residents and pilgrims annually.

Makkah is moving forward with ambitious transport and infrastructure projects, including plans for a new airport and metro system, as part of a broader vision to enhance mobility, sustainability and the experience of millions of residents and visitors.

Saleh Al Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and the Holy Sites, revealed in an interview with Harvard Business Review that approval has already been secured for the strategic and economic investment direction of the Makkah Airport project. The airport is planned to meet global standards and accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and visitors arriving in the holy city every year.

Al Rasheed explained that the Commission intends to collaborate with private sector partners to develop investment models that support the project while maintaining balance with airports in nearby cities.

He also confirmed that feasibility studies and preliminary designs for the Makkah Metro project have been completed, marking another major step toward transforming public transportation in the city.

Beyond transportation, Makkah continues to witness extensive development initiatives focused on improving quality of life, public services and infrastructure. These projects are designed to align with the needs of both residents and pilgrims while supporting Saudi Arabia’s long term development goals.

One of the Commission’s key targets is to increase satisfaction levels among residents and visitors to 90.5 percent by 2025.

As part of its digital transformation efforts, the city has launched the “Smart Makkah” program, which leverages artificial intelligence to monitor and manage crowd movement in and around the Grand Mosque. Advanced predictive systems are being used to analyze crowd flow at critical locations such as the Jamarat Bridge and surrounding central areas.

The initiative also integrates aerial imaging technologies with the “Balady” application to improve operational efficiency and enhance the pilgrim experience.

Transportation services across the city are also undergoing rapid modernization. Developments include upgrades to bus, taxi and guided transport systems, along with the introduction of “Makkah Taxi,” a modern taxi service equipped with vehicle tracking technology, electronic payment systems and environmentally friendly electric and hybrid vehicles.

The Makkah bus network currently operates 400 buses across 12 routes, serving most districts through more than 430 bus stops and four major stations in the central area.

According to Al Rasheed, the service has transported more than 185 million passengers and completed over 3.8 million trips since launching operations in February 2022.

On the infrastructure front, major portions of Makkah’s first, second and third ring roads have already been completed and connected to key routes leading to the Grand Mosque and holy sites, including King Abdulaziz Road and Ibrahim Al Khalil Road. City entrances have also been upgraded to improve accessibility and traffic flow.

Additional enhancements around the Grand Mosque include 60 maintenance buildings and 32 electric escalators aimed at improving operational efficiency and supporting sustainable Hajj operations.

Several large scale development projects are also underway in the holy sites. These include the redevelopment of eight locations in Arafat spanning approximately 190,000 square meters, construction of two story tents covering more than 33,000 square meters, development of 10 residential towers capable of accommodating 27,000 pilgrims and the establishment of a 200 bed emergency hospital in Mina.

Makkah’s sustainability initiatives are also gaining momentum. Through Kidana Development Company, the city is planting 20,000 trees, building water cycle facilities and introducing shaded and cooled pedestrian walkways extending over 285,000 square meters.

Integrated waste management projects, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, have reportedly generated savings exceeding SR310 million through improvements in water and sewage infrastructure.

Al Rasheed added that these developments are expected to further strengthen private sector participation and improve pilgrim mobility. One example is the West Jamarat station project, which aims to enable pilgrims to complete Tawaf Al Ifadah within 20 minutes while supporting a transport capacity of 20,000 passengers per hour.

The city is also developing six new public markets while upgrading three existing ones as part of broader urban enhancement efforts.

To improve walkability and reduce congestion, Makkah has adopted a comprehensive urban development strategy that includes increasing pedestrian spaces by 127 percent, adding over 30,000 square meters of shaded areas and implementing advanced crowd management solutions in central zones.

Source: Saudiexpariates

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