Riyadh, Nov 28 (IANS): The first phase of Riyadh Metro was launched, which marks a significant step to reshape the Saudi capital's public transport landscape.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the project, which is expected to become Riyadh's public transport network backbone, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Riyadh Metro includes six train lines spanning 176 km and 85 stations, including four main hubs. The SPA reported that three lines will open to the public on December 1, with "gradual launches" completing the network across the city.

During the inauguration, the king said the Riyadh Public Transport Project, which spans metro and bus networks, was launched following studies conducted by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City on the capital's current and future public transport needs.

Riyadh Metro is the second metro system in Saudi Arabia after the first metro line in Mecca, which operates only during the Hajj season.

Once fully operational, the Riyadh Metro is expected to be the largest in the world to be completed in a single phase, and the world's longest driverless metro line.

It is tailored to meet Riyadh's social, environmental, and urban requirements, which is expected to significantly contribute to the city's urban mobility needs, the SPA said.