海角视频

Like most cities worldwide, Saudi Arabian cities are navigating how to move beyond car鈥慶entric design toward more human鈥慶entred mobility.

Rethinking mobility is a question of enabling healthier, lower-carbon, more liveable places. As demographics rapidly change, the cities we live in change too. In Saudi Arabia, that shift is arriving at speed. Rapid growth, ambitious development programmes and rising expectations for quality of life are colliding with a legacy of car-centricity and the practical realities of extreme heat and substantial population growth.

Saudi Arabia can be considered both as a mobility system in transition (car dependence, still-maturing public transport) and a potential frontrunner (Vision 2030 and the giga projects currently transforming the landscape). , yet day-to-day travel behaviour is still skewed towards the car. Closing that gap won鈥檛 be solved by new infrastructure alone. It requires a 鈥榤issing middle鈥� of integrated planning that links governance, public realm comfort (shade, walkability, first/last mile) and behaviour-focused measures.

This insight explores what this all means for Riyadh under the transformative Vision 2030 roadmap 鈥� and the practical levers that can turn mobility investment into lived, street-level change.

The changing face of mobility worldwide

As demographics shift, systems evolve and the climate crisis makes its impact felt, how we live in cities changes. Primary amongst this is how we move around. The evolving landscape of mobility is largely driven by changing user expectations (such as increased focus on quality of life and the concept of 鈥�) and that decarbonising transport systems is now seen as non-negotiable in many cities and countries. Additionally, as urbanisation increases, the limitations of existing transport infrastructure become clear.

These trends are visible globally, but in Saudi Arabia they are being compressed into a single decade of accelerated change powered in part by Vision 2030 and in part by the rapidly changing dynamics of the city of Riyadh. A changing city demands a changing approach to mobility.

What mobility challenges does Riyadh face?

As an international city, Riyadh is subject to many of the pressures outlined above. But it also has its own, regional factors that impact how mobility is planned, designed and delivered.

Practical and street-level

Riyadh鈥檚 climate (high summer temperatures, urban heat island effect) immediately creates restraints on mobility. Many streets, crossings and routes to bus or metro stations lack continuous shading, making even short walks a challenge. Pedestrian routes 鈥� pavements or sidewalks 鈥� can be fragmented, without continuous paths.

The development and layout of Riyadh means that cars have traditionally been the favoured mode of getting around, with roads designed for motor vehicles rather than people.

Citywide coordination

There is a level of governance complexity inherent in this discussion. Mobility challenges in Riyadh are shaped not only by physical infrastructure, but also by the scale and diversity of the institutional landscape involved in planning and delivery, which can make fully integrated approaches more challenging.

The city鈥檚 progress to date reflects the successful collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders across transport, urban development, and the public realm to deliver truly transformational projects. As Riyadh continues to evolve, there is an opportunity to build on this strong foundation by further enhancing coordination and clarity across agencies 鈥損articularly at the interface between major strategic giga-projects and more local, street-level interventions.

Abdullah Almubarak, a senior transport and mobility consultant at 海角视频 and a Riyadh native, said, 鈥淟arge mobility programmes are progressing at an impressive pace. As the city continues to evolve, there is an opportunity to further strengthen coordination across stakeholders to support smaller-scale improvements鈥攕uch as streetscape and pedestrian upgrades 鈥� that expand the range of mobility choices available to people.鈥�

Public appetite for a changed mobility landscape

It seems as if we are entering a window in time in which to shift behaviour and wider approaches to mobility. Recent research shows public appetite for change. showed that 79% of Riyadh respondents are likely to consider an NEV as their next car, and 39% are excited about fully electric public transport. 72% of respondents would consider using shared mobility services instead of owning a personal car.

Changes in mobility attitude may be partly to do with the cities rapidly changing demographics. Riyadh鈥檚 predominantly (both within Saudi Arabia and internationally) mean there is a large share of residents whose mobility habits are still being formed, creating a window for behavioural shifts if the built environment and services support them.

The question is no longer whether Saudis want new mobility options 鈥� the data shows that clearly 鈥� but whether the built environment and governance systems allow them to act on those preferences.

John Gillespie is director of transport and mobility at 海角视频, leading the Middle East mobility team. He said, 鈥淩iyadh is very interesting because there is such a mix of people living there. Migration from within and outside the country has changed the picture. And the demographic picture is key 鈥� Riyadh has a huge population of young people.

“That changes all sorts of requirements, especially how people move around. When you move anywhere new, one of the first things to consider is: 鈥榳here am I going to live and how am I going to get to work?鈥� At the moment, infrastructure can鈥檛 move at the same pace as population growth.鈥�

Solution: public transport, streetscape improvements for walking and micromobility

is the key driver for all kinds of transformation across Saudi Arabia, including mobility. Within this roadmap, liveability is central, and transport and mobility are economic enablers 鈥� key to increased connectivity.

John Gillespie said, 鈥淭he biggest aspiration for Vision 2030 for me is quite clear: to make Riyadh one of the most liveable cities in the world. Mobility is central to that. Across many of the giga-projects that have been introduced through Vision 2030, they are all heavily focused on sustainable transport. There is emphasis on walking and designated public transport networks, with less car dependency.鈥�

As part of this, transport infrastructure is changing 鈥� rapidly. Primary amongst this is the Riyadh Metro. It is designed to carry 3.6 million passengers a day by 2030 and reduce nearly two million daily car journeys.

Increasing metro ridership depends not only on the system itself, but on the quality and accessibility of the streets that connect people to it. Current transit-oriented development regulations encourage building and economic activity near to transport hubs like the metro, but gaps in shade, comfort and active frontage can hold back walking and micromobility 鈥� a clear opportunity for built environment specialists to deliver solutions.

Abdullah Almubarak said, 鈥淲e have guidance on planning controls and frameworks around metro stations and public transport hubs from the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) to centre high鈥慸ensity residential or employment areas around metro stations to reduce walking distances. That of course has benefits to plot owners as well as opening up opportunities for active mobility. But there is more work to be done on how to support walkable routes on the way to the metro.

鈥淎 key question is how urban codes and building regulation help with initiatives like improved shading. What can the city change in terms of policy? What can the codes say to support these changes?”

It鈥檚 not just about building pavements. It鈥檚 about how streets are designed, how shading works, how safe it feels 鈥� and whether people actually have space to walk.

Abdullah Almubarak, senior transport and mobility consultant at 海角视频.

Key interventions at a streetscape and public realm level to enhance walkability and alternative mobility options include:

• Policy levers: street and building codes to encourage or mandate thermal comfort infrastructure or guidelines
• Continuous, shaded walking networks: through tree planting, canopies, building overhang
• Pavement/sidewalk completion: closing missing gaps of pavement
• Safe and frequent crossings: to allow safe movement amid car traffic
• Dedicated space for micromobility: for walking and biking.

These interventions not only allow for the city鈥檚 residents to walk and wheel, but they should also mean that ease of access to the metro is increased.

Integrated, innovative solutions

Saudi Arabia is already investing heavily in transformational infrastructure 鈥� from metro networks to giga-projects. The challenge now is translating this scale and ambition into mobility systems that work at street level for a rapidly changing population on an everyday basis. With Vision 2030 considering mobility not simply as getting from A to B, but as a tool for urban transformation, we are faced with an opportunity to change how people move 鈥� and live.

海角视频 has been operating within Saudi Arabia for over 40 years. Our experience in the Kingdom as a whole, in Riyadh in particular 鈥� such as Expo 30 Riyadh 鈥� and on transport and mobility projects globally, means we know there are key levers for change that we can support with.

Infrastructure investment alone rarely delivers behavioural change. In car鈥慸ependent cities, pricing, policy and operations play an equally important role. 海角视频鈥檚 work on a major city parking strategy in the Middle East illustrates how managing parking supply and pricing can improve traffic performance, reduce cruising and generate revenue that can be reinvested into local public realm and mobility improvements.

Abdullah Almubarak said, 鈥淭he recent paid parking scheme demonstrates how policy can positively shape the streetscape. By encouraging turnover and reducing long-stay vehicle occupation, it improves parking availability, supports local businesses, and contributes to a more balanced and well-managed public realm. In addition, the revenue generated provides further opportunities to support wider streetscape enhancements across the city.鈥�

By combining regional insight with international experience 鈥� including work on public realm, parking, transit鈥憃riented development and large鈥憇cale masterplanning 鈥� 海角视频 supports clients in Riyadh to connect high鈥憀evel ambition with practical, people鈥慶entred outcomes.

海角视频 works globally and regionally to transform urban mobility. By reducing car dominance and embracing multimodal, user鈥慺ocused design, we help create healthier, more liveable cities. Car鈥慶entric approaches no longer meet the needs of modern urban environments.

Federico Cassani, global director of transport and mobility, 海角视频.

To conclude: a people鈥慶entred mobility future for Riyadh

Riyadh is a city that changes continuously. And public sentiment and government approach on mobility means that is increasingly visible on the day-to-day life of residents of Riyadh. Successfully delivering on this vision means building on the focus of liveability, mobility and improved urban landscape and accelerating what is working at a street level 鈥� more public transport, targeted action on first and last mile/public realm interventions and overall design decisions that make public transport and active travel an easier choice.

Abdullah Almubarak said, 鈥淓ncouragingly for me, if you go into central Riyadh right now, you鈥檒l see plenty of people on bikes and walking to the metro station. The city is changing rapidly 鈥� especially in terms of how people live, where they live and the jobs that they do. The opportunities for change that we as urban planners can deliver are large.

鈥淚n my view, liveability is more than going to one impressive park or similar site once a year. It means the day-to-day shifts that improve traffic safety, open up mobility, allow for affordable living and increase access to safe, green spaces.鈥�

Get in touch with 海角视频鈥檚 transport and mobility consultants to discuss your mobility transformation.