As the Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), Lloyd’s Register will deliver the highest quality safety assessment providing ADA – the executive branch of the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh – with confidence that the Riyadh Metro system will operate safely.

This will involve regular assessments and audits of safety plans, processes, activities and documentation at every stage of the system’s construction in Riyadh, from detailed designs through to the start of operations in 2018.  The award of this contract underlines Lloyd’s Register’s position as the leading safety assessor of rail systems in the Middle East region.

Riyadh’s expanding economy has been the catalyst for rapid urban growth in recent times, with the population set to increase from 5.7 million people today to 8.3 million by 2030, making the need for an efficient and extensive public transport system paramount. The city’s new transportation system will include both the new metro and extended bus network. Built at a total cost of $30 billion, it will be the largest urban public transport project under development worldwide. The metro network will consist of 85 air-conditioned stations at a mixture of elevated, at-grade, shallow and deep underground locations. The six-line 175km driverless system will connect central districts of Riyadh with outlying residential areas and the King Khalid International Airport.

Speaking of the appointment as the ISA on the project Mike Elliott, Middle East Rail Business Manager for Lloyd’s Register, said: "There is a responsibility on all parties to ensure that Riyadh’s first ever metro system is completed on time and to the highest possible safety standards. Though the essence of our role is to retain an objective, independent stance, we are very much part of the project delivery team and will use our experience of systems in Dubai, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and elsewhere to ensure that best practice is brought across and that potential issues and delays are identified and resolved without disruption to the overall project schedule.” 

As the appointed ISA, Lloyd's Register’s experts will conduct full assessments and audits of the safety plans, processes, activities and documentation during the design, manufacture, installation, testing and trial operations during the appropriate stages of the metro’s construction. This will help ensure the safety of passengers, operating staff and members of the public throughout the network’s development.