Riyadh ranks among world’s top 20 cities for public transport

Riyadh has secured 16th place in the list of the world’s top 20 cities for public transport in 2026, making it the only Arab city to feature, according to a survey by the UK’s Time Out magazine that polled over 24,000 residents worldwide.

The survey found that 78.2% of Riyadh residents rated the city’s public transport services as “good” or “amazing,” placing it ahead of global cities such as Hamburg, Amsterdam, Vancouver, and Oslo.

Taipei topped the list with a satisfaction rate of 95%, followed by Singapore at 93.5%, Hong Kong at 92.8%, Edinburgh at 92.4%, and Seoul at 91.1%.

The rankings were based on residents’ assessments of their cities’ public transport systems on a scale from one to five, ranging from “very poor” to “amazing.” The magazine’s methodology allowed only one city per country, with each nation’s highest-rated city making the list.

This recognition comes less than two years after the launch of the Riyadh Metro, one of the world’s largest public transport projects, alongside the Riyadh bus network.