Saudi ‘Arheb’ Offers Smart Shared Transport Solutions, Preserves Saudi Environment

Arheb application for shared transportation (Photo: Abdullah Al-Falih)
Arheb application for shared transportation (Photo: Abdullah Al-Falih)
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Saudi ‘Arheb’ Offers Smart Shared Transport Solutions, Preserves Saudi Environment

Arheb application for shared transportation (Photo: Abdullah Al-Falih)
Arheb application for shared transportation (Photo: Abdullah Al-Falih)

Saudi Arabia’s “Arheb” transportation platform will connect drivers and passengers wishing to travel together between the country’s governorates and cities, in addition to neighboring Gulf and Arab countries.

Arheb ensures the lowest cost of transportation for users and provides weekly and monthly packages for employees and students at competitive prices.

Arheb is the first ridesharing application in Asia and Africa that offers an integrated carbon footprint calculator.

The application aligns with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “Saudi Green” initiative, which works to increase Saudi Arabia’s dependence on clean energy, reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment.

“Arheb is a 100 % Saudi application launched from Makkah. It employs 1,800 captains, including 500 women,” said Salem bin Shamekh, general manager of the Arheb Information Technology Company.

“It is considered the giant of shared transportation within cities in Saudi Arabia, and also provides private economic and luxury trips outside the cities,” Shamekh told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Our prices are very acceptable,” affirmed the general manager.

Arheb provides ridesharing with the lowest seat cost in intercity travel and the cheapest commission in ridesharing applications.

The application offers travels to the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan.

Prices for trips between Saudi cities start at SAR 19 ($5).

The starting fares for trips from Saudi Arabia to Gulf countries is SAR 19 ($5) as well.

From Riyadh to Doha it costs SAR 99 ($26.4). Prices from Tabuk to Amman, the capital of Jordan, start at SAR 89 ($23.7).

Shamekh revealed that Arheb will be participating in the upcoming Hajj season by providing a fleet of buses as well as shared cars between cities to serve the pilgrims, indicating that the reservation of seats will be through the application directly.



Egypt Completes Trial Run of New Suez Canal Channel Extension

An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
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Egypt Completes Trial Run of New Suez Canal Channel Extension

An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)
An Egyptian navy vessel see in the Suez Canal, March 30, 2021. (AFP/Getty Images)

Egypt said on Saturday it had successfully tested a new 10 km channel near the southern end of the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal Authority said in a statement that during a trial run two ships passed through a new stretch of the canal's two-way section without incident.

Following the 2021 grounding of the container ship Ever Given that blocked the vital waterway for six days, Egypt accelerated plans to extend the second channel in the southern reaches of the canal and widen the existing channel.

Its revenue from the waterway, the gateway to the shortest route between Europe and Asia, has nevertheless tumbled since Yemen's Houthi militias began attacking ships in the Red Sea in November 2023 in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday that due to "regional challenges", the country had lost approximately $7 billion in Suez Canal revenue in 2024, marking more than a 60% drop from 2023.

According to the Suez Canal Authority, the latest expansion extends the total length of the canal's two-way section to 82 km from a previous 72 km. The canal is 193 km long in total.

"This expansion will boost the canal's capacity by an additional 6 to 8 ships daily and enhance its ability to handle potential emergencies," the Suez Canal Authority said in its statement.

Earlier this year, Egypt said that it was considering an additional expansion project separate to the 10 km channel extension.