Riyadh | BETH

Saudi Arabia’s transport and logistics system delivered an exceptional performance in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting a rapid transformation in the Kingdom’s mobility, trade and infrastructure landscape. The period recorded new highs in rail passengers, bus ridership, and port container volumes, reinforcing Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a regional logistics and transport hub in line with Vision 2030.

Railways Drive the Mobility Surge

Passenger numbers on Saudi railways reached 46.7 million in Q4 2025, including 43.8 million urban riders, marking the highest level ever recorded across the rail network.

Riyadh Metro led the system with 32.1 million passengers, followed by the King Abdulaziz International Airport automated people mover in Jeddah with 10.6 million passengers, while the Princess Nourah University transit system carried around 982,000 passengers.

Intercity travel also saw strong demand, with the Haramain High-Speed Railway transporting 2.9 million passengers between Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah. The East Line, linking Riyadh to Dammam via several cities, carried 367,000 passengers, while the North Line heading toward the Jordanian border recorded 234,000 passengers.

Rail freight exceeded 4 million tons of minerals and goods, including 3.5 million tons on the North Line, 439,000 tons on the East Line, and 218,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

Urban Buses See Rapid Expansion

The Public Transport Authority reported that 27.8 million passengers used urban bus services in Q4 2025.

Riyadh topped the list with more than 21.15 million riders, followed by Makkah with 3.42 million, Jeddah with 1.19 million, Dammam and Qatif with 836,000, and Madinah with 481,000.

The growth reflects the rapid expansion of bus networks, improved operational efficiency, and wider coverage across residential and commercial districts.

Intercity Buses Gain Momentum

Intercity bus services carried 884,000 passengers during the quarter, operating more than 43,200 trips nationwide.

Makkah Region recorded the highest number of passengers at 259,600, followed by Riyadh with 198,400, and the Eastern Province with 132,600.

Ports Power Regional Trade

Saudi ports posted strong growth in 2025, with container throughput rising by 10.58% to 8.3 million TEUs, while transshipment containers increased by 11.78%.

Exported containers grew by 11.72%, and imported containers rose by 8.82%, while total cargo handled exceeded 242 million tons across all categories.

Passenger numbers at ports surged by 47%, and nearly 9 million heads of livestock were received, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s central role in regional supply chains and food security.

In December 2025 alone, container volumes increased by 12.5% compared to the same month a year earlier, pointing to sustained momentum in trade activity.

Parcel Delivery Index Records 57 Million Shipments

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Transport announced that the postal and parcel delivery sector handled more than 57 million shipments in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting the continued growth of e-commerce and rising demand for logistics services across the Kingdom.

According to the authority’s quarterly statistical bulletin, the Parcel Delivery Performance Index, which measures the number of complaints escalated to the regulator, showed varying levels of customer satisfaction among delivery companies.

FedEx recorded the highest complaint rate at 25 complaints per 100,000 shipments, followed by UPS with 9, and Aramex with 8.

GFS registered 7 complaints, followed by SPL (Saudi Post) with 6, while SMSA, RedBox, DHL, and Starlinks each recorded 4 complaints.

Naqel and J&T each recorded 3 complaints, iMile had 2, and Ajex ranked lowest with 1 complaint per 100,000 shipments.

Conclusion

These combined indicators show that Saudi Arabia is no longer merely expanding its transport infrastructure — it is building a fully integrated logistics ecosystem that connects cities, ports and international markets, strengthening its position as a global logistics hub and a central gateway for trade and mobility in the Middle East.