Winds of change drive public transport forward in Israel and Saudi Arabia
Assessment is the first step towards change
The heat is very intense, and hits hard. The best way to escape is in an air-conditioned car, sheltered from the sun's rays. In many of the region's cities, traffic jams are a daily reality. On top of this, public transport infrastructures, which could have been alternatives, even if less comfortable, are often lacking or underdeveloped. This situation also results from an economic model historically centered on oil, where the private car has long been the norm. Added to this is an urban planning approach that favors urban sprawl, making it difficult to integrate an efficient public transport system. This increased dependence on the car is not without cost. Indeed, it is accompanied by rising CO2 emissions and a high cost for local economies, both in terms of road traffic and pollution. And yet, initiatives are emerging, driven by a growing awareness of the need to find a model for urban travel that will benefit as many people as possible, while promoting sustainable development.
Israel as a regional pioneer of alternative mobility
As we have seen, the development of public transport has slowed down in recent years for a multitude of reasons. However, in the MENA region, Israel stands out for the spectacular transformation of its urban and inter-urban mobility. With a massive investment of 200 billion shekels between 2018 and 2025, the country is revolutionizing its transport infrastructure and establishing a model that is both ecological and technological. This transformation is based on constant expansion of the rail network, which now handles 68 million passengers a year, with annual growth of 6%. The network covers 1,100 kilometers of track, of which 420 kilometers are already electrified, while buses serve the entire country with 16,000 vehicles and 5,000 lines. In the big cities, this transformation is even more visible. In Tel Aviv, a metro project covering 145 kilometers of track and 109 stations is currently under construction, and is expected to 2 million passengers a day by 2032. The first line, known as the Red Line, is already operational, carrying 240,000 passengers a day. This initiative, which alone represents an investment of 150 billion shekels, reflects Tel Aviv's ambition to become a more fluid, better-connected metropolis. Jerusalem, for its part, relies on a rapidly expanding streetcar and subway network, currently carrying 160,000 passengers a day, with a forecast of 450,000 by 2025 thanks to extensions that will add a further 22 kilometers.
At the same time, Israel is making monumental efforts to encourage soft mobility. Tel Aviv, for example, already has 300 kilometers of bicycle paths, and Jerusalem aims to reach 123 kilometers by 2025. Other cities such as Haifa and Be'er Sheva are following suit, with 65 and 50 kilometers of paths under development respectively. What's more, these infrastructures are accompanied by the growing deployment of shared bike and scooter services, making environmentally-friendly mobility more accessible. The course is clear: these initiatives are in line with ambitious targets for 2040, when 40% of trips should be made by public transport, 25% on foot, 15% by bicycle, and only 20% by car - a huge contrast with the 90% of trips made in cars in 2020.
The Riyadh metro: a historic milestone
The launch of the Riyadh metro network marks a milestone for Saudi Arabia and, more broadly, for the MENA region. This ambitious project, which began in 2013, is part of Vision 2030, a strategic program aimed, among other things, at achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. With six lines covering 176 kilometers and 85 stations, the Riyadh metro is naturally one of the most innovative infrastructure projects in the region. Its construction has mobilized world-renowned companies such as Alstom, which supplied 69 ultramodern electric trains for the network, as well as Hitachi and RATP Dev, the company responsible for managing and operating the network thanks to its recognized expertise in public transport.
This metro is set to transform the daily lives of the inhabitants of Riyadh, a city populated by almost 8 million people. Planned to serve a maximum capacity of 3.6 million passengers a day, it should considerably reduce traffic jams, improve journey times and offer an effective solution to road traffic problems. Beyond its immediate impact, the project represents a social and economic breakthrough that will improve quality of life while stimulating local economic activity.
The launch of this network is about more than just infrastructure. It embodies a clear determination to transform lifestyles and meet the challenges of the 21st century. While countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia are leading the way with pioneering projects, they also show just how much work remains to be done by the other countries in the MENA region. This disparity reveals a major challenge, but also an opportunity for governments and investors to accelerate the transition to modern, sustainable mobility systems, inspired by the successes of Riyadh and Tel Aviv.
Sources :
https://www.ratpdev.com/fr/references/arabie-saoudite-riyad-metro
https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/king-abdullah-financial-district-metro-station/
