Transportation in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Transportation in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is the land and air traffic within the transportation ecosystem in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah City, the administrative capital of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Province in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Transportation in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is supervised by several entities, notably the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services and Al-Madinah Region Development Authority.

The transportation ecosystem in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah relies on two main pillars: air transport and land transport, which include travel by airplanes, trains, buses, and cars.

Air transport in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah houses Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, the primary air gateway in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah. The airport was established in 1950 and underwent major expansion and development works, inaugurated in 2015 to accommodate the growing volume of air traffic, particularly the crowds of millions of pilgrims and Umrah pilgrims coming to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

Rail transport in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah features a Haramain High Speed Railway station located in Al-Hadra Neighborhood on King Abdulaziz Road, approximately nine km from the Prophet's Mosque and thirteen km from Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport. The station connects with the railway station in Makkah Al-Mukarramah, passing through King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh and King Abdulaziz International Airport Station in Jeddah.

The Haramain High-Speed Railway operates on electric power and reaches speeds of up to three hundred km/h. It includes thirty-five trains, each with 417 seats distributed between two classes, business, and economy.

The Haramain High-Speed Railway Project links the two holy cities of Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, serving the growing number of domestic and international pilgrims while easing road congestion among the cities of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, and Jeddah.

Land transport in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is connected to other cities in Saudi Arabia through a network of major express highways, including Qassim–Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Highway (448 km), Jeddah–Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Highway (410 km), and Makkah Al-Mukarramah–Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Highway (421 km). The Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) operates bus services between Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah and other cities in Saudi Arabia through its station in the city.

The Madinah Bus project's fleet, overseen by Al-Madinah Region Development Authority, includes twenty-seven shuttle buses operating on six routes with 106 primary and secondary stops. Major stops include Sayed Al-Shuhada', Al-Azhari, the Islamic University, the Sports Stadium, Al-Diathah, Al-Hijrah, Aliat Mall, Al-Khalidiyyah, Shadhah, and Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport.

These shuttle buses facilitate transportation for Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah's residents and visitors to and from the Prophet's Mosque. They are equipped to serve the elderly and people with disabilities. A shuttle bus departs every five minutes, and each trip takes approximately fifteen minutes. Smart cards for transportation can be issued and recharged via the self-service machines provided by the company.

Al-Madinah Bus shuttles also transport worshippers to and from Quba Mosque via the Aliat Mall–Quba Mosque route, helping to improve traffic flow around the mosque. Al-Madinah Region Development Authority has also launched a mobile application to enhance communication with service beneficiaries.

Visitors to Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah can explore several archaeological and historical sites related to the Prophetic biography through a sightseeing bus tour organized under the supervision of Al-Madinah Region Development Authority. The tour follows a route that includes twelve sites: the Prophet's Mosque, Al-Manakha Square, the Beautiful Names of Allah Exhibition, Bab Al-Salam, Uhud Mountain, Al-Noor Mall, Sultana Road, Al-Qiblatayn Mosque, the Battle of the Trench site, Quba Mosque, Hejaz Railway Station, and Quba Avenue.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) initiative in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah has witnessed several projects aimed at developing its transportation sector. In 2021, Al-Madinah Region Development Authority launched the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) initiative under its supervision. The initiative is funded by the Pilgrim Experience Program, one of the executive programs of Saudi Vision 2030. It aims to enhance the performance of the public transport network within the city, connect its neighborhoods, and facilitate the arrival of visitors from Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport to the Prophet's Mosque, passing through the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station and the central area.

The BRT initiative consists of two main routes with a total length of 54.2 km and includes thirty-six stops, in addition to a priority route stretching 10.4 km with ten designated stops. These routes are served by high-quality, eco-friendly shuttle buses operating on dedicated lanes that do not interfere with other means of transportation.

Shuttle buses on the Red Route travel along a thirty-eight-km guideway from Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport Station to Al-Aziziyah Neighborhood–Al-Miqat Mosque Station. This route includes twenty-four stops along the way and three park-and-ride locations.

The Purple Route shuttle buses operate on a priority guideway that extends 16.2 km from Uhud Mountain Station to Quba Mosque. It features twelve stops on both sides of the road and two park-and-ride locations.

The Orange Route follows a priority guideway that stretches 10.4 km and features ten stops along its median and one park-and-ride location. The network also includes feeder shuttle buses operating on three-km loops, as well as a fleet of 160 shuttle buses transporting passengers to the high-priority BRT routes and distribution shuttle buses operating in residential areas to deliver passengers to the main transport network.

Overpasses in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

In 2021, Al-Madinah Region Development Authority, in coordination with the General Directorate of Traffic in the province, inaugurated the Overpass at the Intersection of Imam Muslim Road with Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz Road Project (west of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah). The project aims to enhance traffic flow and facilitate movement across the Imam Muslim Road axis, serving as a vital connection between residential neighborhoods in that region and King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Road (Second Ring Road) The project includes two overpasses measuring 1.2 km and two exits for the side u-turn axes. It also involves the installation of retaining walls on both sides of the road and measures to protect it from rocks falling from the hills that overlook its sides. The Overpass at the Imam Muslim Intersection with Prince Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Road Project is an extension of the Imam Muslim Road Development Project, which allowed traffic to flow through six main lanes in both directions, each sixty-four m wide, along with four lanes designated for public services and parking on both sides of the road.

In December 2023, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Municipality inaugurated the overpass at the intersection of King Abdulaziz Road with King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Road. The project includes two overpasses above King Abdullah Road, each consisting of three main lanes in each direction and an additional lane for shuttle buses in both directions. This project serves as a key connector, easing traffic at the eastern entry point of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, from Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport and the Haramain High-Speed Railway Station to the Prophet's Mosque.

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Municipality has also implemented several overpasses and underpasses projects as part of infrastructure development across multiple locations, intending to improve the efficiency of roads and intersections throughout the city. These projects include the Underpass at the Intersection of Khalid Bin Al-Walid Road with Sultana Road, the Intersection of Al-Salam Road with King Abdullah Road, the Execution of the Overpass at the Intersection of Al-Salam Road with Prince Naif Road, the Expansion of the Overpass at the Intersection of King Salman Road with Wadi Al-Aqool, the Expansion of the Overpass at the Intersection of Omar Bin Al-Khattab Road with Wadi Al-Aziziyah, the Underpass at the Intersection of Saad Bin Khaythama Road with Prince Abdulmajeed Road, the Overpass at the Intersection of Omar Bin Al-Khattab Road with King Abdullah Road, and the Underpass at the Intersection of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Road with Prince Abdulmajeed Road.

Road projects in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah

Traffic in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah is facilitated by a sixty-seven km ring road that encircles the city. It reduces congestion on internal roads through intersections and key arterial roads, helping to divert through traffic outside the city.

Among the projects of Al-Madinah Region Development Authority is the completion of Al-Salam Road Development Project in the central region in 2020, to organize and facilitate the movement of pedestrians and worshippers to the sidewalks, limit access in the median to designated crosswalks, and implement special high-quality yellow ceramic paths for the visually impaired to clarify the privacy of the lanes for visitors. Furthermore, dedicated lanes for vehicles and parking areas for regular shuttle buses were also specified.

Traffic monitoring systems have been implemented on main roads in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, including Saher System and automated surveillance systems. These systems detect different violations, such as not wearing a seatbelt, using a handheld mobile phone while driving, and failing to stay within designated lanes, and record them automatically without human intervention.

In 2018, the branch of the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah received the Best Improvement Award in the category of Excellence in Project Implementation Monitoring and the Best Improvement Award in the category of Excellence in Women's Employment and Services, both part of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah Award for Government Performance Excellence.