King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) station is one of the four main stations of Riyadh Metro, an infrastructure megaproject set to transform the way people travel in Saudi Arabia’s capital city.
Thought to be the biggest elevated metro transfer station in the world at 32m high, 42m wide, and 232m long, it is raising the bar for architectural design and engineering.
Located west of King Fahd Road adjacent to the under-construction KAFD, the station will serve as the main interchange for Riyadh Metro, connecting Lines 1, 4, and 6, with skybridge access to a separate monorail system.
The client is Riyadh Development Authority, which recently changed its name from the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, and Riyadh Metro is one of its biggest projects, with 85 metro stations and 176km of tracks.
More than 600 million man hours have been recorded with more than 60,000 workers mobilised across Riyadh Metro since construction started.
Parsons is part of the Riyadh Metro Transit Consultants consortium in charge of Lines 1, 2, and 3.
The BACS consortium of Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company, and Siemens is building Lines 1 and 2. Line 3 is being built by the ArRiyadh New Mobility Consortium (ANM), led by Italy’s Salini Impregilo, with India’s Larsen & Toubro, Nesma of Saudi Arabia, Ansaldo STS, Bombardier, Idom, and Worley Parsons.
Parsons is overseeing construction of these lines under RMTC as part of a three-way venture between French engineering companies Egis and Systra. Its scope includes project management oversight, construction supervision, and safety.
There are so many impressive facts and figures for the station that it is difficult to know where to start. Do you start with the fact that 147,800m³ has already been excavated? That more than 10,000 tonnes (t) of rebar has been used? What about the 132km of wiring, 15.7km of piping, or 30.3km of cabling that the team has already set up?
Perhaps it’s best to start with what Ken Murray, senior vice president of US consultancy Parsons says. He believes the KAFD station will become a “fantastic backdrop” to one of the Gulf’s most important cities. More info and photos
© Pictures property of RDA – all rights reserved.
