When Sebastien Gilson announced he was moving to the capital of Saudi Arabia for work, many people questioned his decision. “I heard all these prejudices,” he says. “People somehow thought I had no idea where I was going. They said it’s so strict and I should be concerned.”
A Belgian national, he has now lived in Riyadh with his family for four years — and to say the doubters were wrong is quite the understatement. He believes there are many misconceptions about Saudi Arabia, and there is so much more to the beautiful country than most people expect. When it comes to Riyadh, the dramatic views, impressive buildings, and welcoming people have made Sebastien very much feel like he has found his new home.
But in some ways, Riyadh is a victim of its own success. After all, Sebastien is not the only expat experiencing the joys the city has to offer — far from it. In fact, the city has changed beyond recognition in the past century, growing from a small town of just a few thousand residents in the 1930s to the booming metropolis it is today, home to six-and-a-half million people. And in order for the city to continue flourishing, rapid and serious action needs to be taken to bring its infrastructure in line with the growing demands from its people.
Riyadh‘s rapid growth
This staggering population increase shows no sign of slowing. Riyadh is one of the world’s fastest growing cities, with its rocketing population predicted to exceed eight million by 2030 (the size of London and New York). And with nine million car trips per day, it’s no surprise that the city’s infrastructure is struggling to cope.
Surrounded by the Saudi Desert, it benefits from having space to expand — but even despite this relative freedom, the population is growing at such a rate that plans must be made for Riyadh’s future.
Sebastien Gilson is working on a project that will change the way Riyadh functions forever. His love for the city is one of the reasons he’s so excited to impact its future — and make it stronger than ever.
Speaking about the city’s current problems, he says, “It’s definitely a congested city. It’s unpredictable and you always have to think ahead about where you want to go and how you will get there. You get to know some tricks and some shortcuts.” To evade congestion, many opt to drive down residential streets, which are not fit for purpose and ultimately not designed to take the weight of the traffic they currently face.
Part of the problem is Riyadh residents are without a choice. Unlike many other city dwellers, they are almost exclusively dependent on cars getting them from A to B because there is not a bus service or metro system to serve the millions of people living there.
The Megaproject to future-proof Riyadh
So what’s the answer to Riyadh’s issues? Building one of the largest metro projects in the world is certainly a good start. The 176-kilometre six-line Riyadh Metro will open up all corners of the expanding metropolis, finally offering a viable alternative to car travel. The project is implemented by Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) — the executive arm of The High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh.
Sebastien, formerly an engineer who is now Senior Project Manager for the depot equipment of lines one and two, says, “I quickly fell in love with Riyadh and its landmarks, its desert and weather, so I am happy to dedicate years of my life to make Riyadh better and deliver a solution that will improve the quality of life for the Saudi people. And the bigger the project, the bigger the impact of the improvement,” he says.
Siemens’ role is to provide the engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) and commissioning phases, which includes rolling stock, train control, power supply, communication systems, platform screen doors and train maintenance equipment. The two lines within Sebastien’s remit run for 63km across the sprawling city. “I’m very excited about the installation, this is the part I really like,” he says.
The trains will be driverless, and due to space restrictions, tracks will journey underground in the city centre, with the majority of the remaining routes to be elevated above the city in a similar way to the BTS Skytrain in Bangkok, Thailand.
Far from going it alone, the entire project requires considerable teamwork between Siemens workers in diverse roles based across the world. A consortium of civil works companies comprising Bechtel, Almabani, CCC and Siemens, known as BACS, has been formed to bring lines one and two to life. Working together is key, with BACS’ responsibilities including the production of 38 stations and 63 kilometres of viaducts, tunnels and tracks; but the project is even vaster than that. The network in its entirety will comprise 85 stations across six distinct lines.
Unsurprisingly, a project of this size requires considerable manpower. There are around 28,000 people from BACS working on lines one and two of the project, with an estimated 52,000 people working directly across the full six lines. Ultimately, this transcends Riyadh, requiring the skills and minds of people based in all corners of the globe, all working together with one shared aim.
“Normally you build one line, then you build the second one, then the third,” Sebastien says. “Here we are building everything immediately. For example, the Paris Metro is 220km long and was built within 100 years; here the Authority has planned to build 176km in five years. So it is challenging, but we are definitely doing a lot for the city.”
Separate to this project, but important to the city’s future, is the 80-line bus network which is being built in parallel with the Riyadh Metro. These new routes will provide yet another viable alternative to travelling via car. Riyadh’s transformation forms an important part of Saudi Vision 2030, an ambitious blueprint setting out the short and long-term goals for the country. The plan calls for a lesser reliance on the oil industry, and a greater development of public service sectors including infrastructure, recreation, health, and tourism.
The future of Riyadh
It’s clear major changes are soon to impact Riyadh, but what will they really mean for the city? The combination of the bus and metro systems will substantially reduce the number of car trips per day. Slashing the number of car journeys will inevitably help to tackle the city’s current pollution problem and, of course, reduce congestion.
But the move will also bring Riyadh into the 21st century, providing the city with the infrastructure it needs to serve its people. “It will make the city look more modern — a city with a metro system is suitable for its time,” says Sebastien. And what else? “We talk so much about traffic congestion, this will help to reduce that. Our metro lines will definitely contribute to offer a safe, reliable, affordable and eco-friendly solution to reach all the city landmarks.”
Maintaining such a substantial network will also produce long-term employment opportunities for Riyadh residents. “Yes it is a driverless metro, but it needs to be maintained, it needs to be operated,” he says. “Companies will be awarded contracts for this, and they will need people. The more local people they employ, the more training they will get and then they can contribute to their country.”
Sebastien is part of a project which will change the future of the city forever. And how does that make him feel? “It’s definitely rewarding and when you feel down, this is the best source of motivation. More generally, this is another reason why I work at Siemens, because we deliver solutions that enhance people’s life quality. A good reason to wake up every day and go to work, isn’t it?”
Photography: 500px; ADA/Zaha Hadid Architects
