Riyadh Bus (RCRC)
🚌 Riyadh Bus — Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) — Riyadh’s city bus network: the bus half of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport.
📅 Service began 19 March 2023 | 🇸🇦 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 🏢 Owner: RCRC | 💳 Darb Card
Riyadh Bus is the Saudi capital’s public bus network, owned by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) as part of the King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport, and operated through the Public Transport Company — the SAPTCO (80%) and RATP Dev (20%) joint venture. Together with the Riyadh Metro, it gives the capital its first integrated public transport system.
📋 Riyadh Bus Quick Facts
- Owner: Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
- Operator: Public Transport Company (PTC) — SAPTCO 80% / RATP Dev 20% joint venture
- City: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Service began: 19 March 2023 (Wikipedia)
- Launch phase (RCRC): more than 340 buses, 633 stations and stops, 15 routes
- Full network on completion (RCRC): 800 buses, around 1,900 km, 86 routes, more than 2,900 stations and stops
- Payment: Darb Card and Darb app; contactless bank cards also accepted (RCRC)
- Website: rpt.sa
- Call centre: 19933 (Riyadh Public Transport unified number, per RCRC)
📖 About Riyadh Bus
Riyadh Bus launched in phases from 19 March 2023. RCRC’s launch announcement described the first phase as more than 340 buses serving 633 stations and stops on 15 routes, growing on completion to 800 buses covering about 1,900 km on 86 routes with more than 2,900 stations and stops — quote the phase figures separately, as the network is still being built out.
Wikipedia’s network description divides the system into BRT routes on dedicated lanes, community lines and feeder buses connecting neighbourhoods to the metro and BRT. Operation sits with the Public Transport Company, the joint venture between Saudi operator SAPTCO (80%) and France’s RATP Dev (20%).
🚌 Network & Services
- BRT routes — high-capacity services on dedicated lanes
- Community lines — the main cross-city route network
- Feeder buses — neighbourhood routes connecting to Riyadh Metro and BRT stations
💳 Payment & Ticketing
Riyadh Bus uses the Darb Card, the electronic fare card for the Riyadh Public Transport network, together with the Darb app. Per RCRC’s official FAQ, the reusable Darb card costs 10 SAR, bought once from ticket vending machines and ticket sales offices; contactless bank cards and smart devices are also accepted. The same wallet works on the Riyadh Metro.
🧭 How to Ride
- Plan your route in the Darb app or on rpt.sa.
- Buy a Darb card (10 SAR) from a ticket vending machine or sales office, or use a contactless bank card.
- Wait at the marked Riyadh Bus stop or station and check the route number before boarding.
- Tap to pay when you board, and keep your card for the return journey and metro transfers.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who owns Riyadh Bus?
The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC). Day-to-day operation is by the Public Transport Company, a joint venture between SAPTCO (80%) and RATP Dev (20%).
What card do I need for Riyadh buses?
The Darb Card — RCRC’s FAQ prices the reusable card at 10 SAR from vending machines and ticket offices, and contactless bank cards are also accepted.
How big is the Riyadh Bus network?
RCRC launched phase 1 with more than 340 buses, 633 stations/stops and 15 routes, and states the completed network will have 800 buses, 86 routes and more than 2,900 stations and stops.
📞 Official Contact
- Website: rpt.sa
- Call centre: 19933
Sources: RCRC official launch release and FAQ (rcrc.gov.sa) and Wikipedia (Riyadh Bus; SAPTCO) — verified October 2026. Independently compiled by the BusUpdate editorial team; confirm time-sensitive details with the operator before travelling. See also: Riyadh bus routes & guides on BusUpdate.