Madinah Bus Offers Subscriptions for Prophet’s Mosque Transport

The Madinah Bus public transport project will be making it easier for pilgrims to travel to the Prophet’s Mosque.

According to a Saudi Press Agency report, the Madinah Bus will start offering a daily, weekly, and monthly subscription service. Travelers can avail of the shuttle transport services from different locations in Madinah to the Prophet’s Mosque. The Al-Madinah Region Development Authority supervises the Madinah Bus transport project.

The Madinah Bus’ route covers a network of various stations. This includes the Abdulaziz Ali-Aliyah route, Al-Khalidiyah route, Al-Qasswa, and the Haramain High Speed Railway Station. It also covers the King Fahd Glorious Qur’An Printing Complex, Prophet’s Mosque, and the Sayyid Al-Shuhada routes. In addition, the shuttle service will also serve the Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport route.

For more information on the Madinah Bus subscription services, check out the Madinah Bus application, available on smart devices.

Previously, in March 2024, the Al-Madinah Region Development Authority finished its preparations for public transport services. A fleet of 200 modern buses transported pilgrims visiting the Prophet’s Mosque, and to and from the Quba Mosque. The Quba Mosque is in Medina.

In June 2024, the Madinah Bus Project resumed its operations on the second day of Eid Al-Adha. The service covered six routes, including 102 stops across main thoroughfares.

Updates on the Madinah Bus project

In August 2024, the Al-Madinah Region Development Authority announced its expansion plans for the Madinah public transport service. They will be building up to 500 stations to increase the Madinah bus’ transport coverage up to 80 to 90 percent by 2030.

The additional stations will help facilitate transportation for more pilgrims, visitors, as well as residents. It will also help in decreasing the traffic congestion and to make the city more pedestrian-friendly, especially near the Prophet’s Mosque.

The Madinah Bus project expansion is possible with the collaboration with Egis and Systra. Egis is a global consulting, construction engineering and operating firm. Systra, meanwhile, is an engineering and consulting group that specializes in infrastructure and mobility solutions.

The joint venture between Egis and Systra will help establish essential services under the bus rapid transport project. This includes services such as priority buses and feeder services, as well as engineering supervision and oversight design. In addition, the partnership will also include construction, testing, and operation.

Egis and Systra will also be responsible for managing the safety and security. This covers Madinah buses, depots, operational systems, and civil works for bus lanes, stations, footbridges, and park-and-ride amenities.

Other transport projects

Apart from the Madinah Bus’ expansion plans, there are also other transport projects in Saudi Arabia. In June 2024, air taxis made their flight debut in the kingdom. This marked the first unmanned, licensed, autonomous air taxis to fly in the country.

In August 2024 meanwhile, Saudi authorities also announced that it would be introducing a cable car system in 2025. This would help pilgrims visit the Cave of Hira in Jabal Al-Noor, a mountain near Mecca.

Photo: X/Madinah_Bus