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Riyadh Metro Launches Red and Green Lines

The Red Line is 25.1 kilometers long while the Green Line is 13.3 kilometers long. SPA
The Red Line is 25.1 kilometers long while the Green Line is 13.3 kilometers long. SPA
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Riyadh Metro Launches Red and Green Lines

The Red Line is 25.1 kilometers long while the Green Line is 13.3 kilometers long. SPA
The Red Line is 25.1 kilometers long while the Green Line is 13.3 kilometers long. SPA

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) announced the roll-out of two additional lines (Red: King Abdullah Road, and Green: King Abdulaziz Road) of the Riyadh Metro on Sunday; passengers have access to stations on the two lines from 6:00 am to 12:00 am.
Five out of the six metro lines are now operational.
The Red Line is 25.1 kilometers long, and runs from east to west along King Abdullah Road, connecting King Fahd Sports City to King Saud University across 15 stations, including the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.
It intersects with the Blue Line at the STC Station, with the Green Line at the Ministry of Education Station, and with the Purple Line at Al Hamra Station.
The Green Line, King Abdulaziz Road, is 13.3 kilometers long, and runs from King Abdullah Road along the Ministry of Education all the way to the National Museum.
Its 12 stations serve several government entities, including the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Commerce, as well as several commercial, service, and residential facilities.
All stations on the line will be open to the public on Sunday, except the Ministry of Finance and the National Museum stations, which will be operational at a later date.
The Green Line intersects with the Red Line at the Ministry of Education Station, and with the Blue Line at the National Museum Station.
According to the previously announced roll-out plan, the Orange Line (which covers Madinah Road) will open on January 5, 2025, making the Riyadh Metro network fully operational.
Passengers may identify destinations and purchase tickets using the “Darb” mobile application or at the Riyadh Metro stations.

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Iran's Rial Hits a Record Low, Battered by Regional Tensions and Energy Crisis

An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
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Iran's Rial Hits a Record Low, Battered by Regional Tensions and Energy Crisis

An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)
An Iranian trader counts money in Tehran's Grand Bazaar. (Reuters)

The Iranian rial on Wednesday fell to its lowest level in history, losing more than 10% of value since Donald Trump won the US presidential election in November and signaling new challenges for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East.

The rial traded at 777,000 rials to the dollar, traders in Tehran said, down from 703,000 rials on the day Trump won.

Iran’s Central Bank has in the past flooded the market with more hard currencies in an attempt to improve the rate.

In an interview with state television Tuesday night, Central Bank Gov. Mohammad Reza Farzin said that the supply of foreign currency would increase and the exchange rate would be stabilized. He said that $220 million had been injected into the currency market, The AP reported.

The currency plunged as Iran ordered the closure of schools, universities, and government offices on Wednesday due to a worsening energy crisis exacerbated by harsh winter conditions. The crisis follows a summer of blackouts and is now compounded by severe cold, snow and air pollution.

Despite Iran’s vast natural gas and oil reserves, years of underinvestment and sanctions have left the energy sector ill-prepared for seasonal surges, leading to rolling blackouts and gas shortages.

In 2015, during Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, the rial was at 32,000 to $1. On July 30, the day that Iran’s reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian was sworn in and began his term, the rate was 584,000 to $1.

Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the accord in 2018, sparking years of tensions between the countries that persist today.

Iran’s economy has struggled for years under crippling international sanctions over its rapidly advancing nuclear program, which now enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels.

Pezeshkian, elected after a helicopter crash killed hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in May, came to power on a promise to reach a deal to ease Western sanctions.

Tensions still remain high between the nations, 45 years after the 1979 US Embassy takeover and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed. Before the revolution, the rial traded at 70 for $1.