Free shuttle service runs in KAFD, in partnership with Rekab Solutions Company

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14^th March 2023 -

King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC) formalised an agreement with Saudi start-up, Rekab Solutions Company, in a signing ceremony today to launch a dedicated internal shuttle service. With this addition, tenants can now easily book on-demand rides, track their vehicles and trips in real time, and claim back any lost property.

The shuttle service is one of the many initiatives in KAFD’s smart mobility strategy to improve accessibility in KAFD and make it more convenient for tenants to get around. With various designated stops around KAFD, it is also an important aspect of KAFD’s 15-minute-city navigation vision, which foresees tenants and residents being able to access all necessary amenities: offices, restaurants and shops in addition to leisure activities, within a 15-minute journey by foot or internal transport. The service will be rolled out in stages, with phase one limited to office tenants and free of charge. In the second phase, the service will be made available to residents and visitors. To ensure safety, all vehicles are equipped with CCTV cameras and driven by professional drivers. During the ceremony today, Gautam Sashittal, Chief Executive Officer of KAFD DMC, explained, “Smart mobility is integral to our resident and user-centered approach to KAFD’s urban planning. Over 3,000 people are killed everyday around the world due to road traffic accidents. By integrating information, technology, infrastructure, vehicles, and users, our city navigation solutions are safer, smarter and more sustainable than traditional transportation. Our internal shuttle service will enhance mobility across the district, reduce and manage internal traffic, and foster more healthy wellbeing. Annual investment in public transport worldwide stands at approximately US $2 trillion. However, with total transport activity expected to more than double by 2050 - compared to 2015 – countries are increasing their financial commitments to sustainable transport solutions. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, G20 countries have committed over US $284 billion to the mobility industry with Saudi Arabia committing over US $133 billion to the Kingdom’s transport sector by the end of the decade. Rekab Solutions Company is a dedicated ride sharing platform in Saudi Arabia. In its first year of operations, Rekab Solutions Company scaled to four cities across the Kingdom, gained over 1M users on the platform and completed about 3M trips with a monthly growth rate of over 28%. The Rekab Solutions Company team are committed to providing a new standard of quality for the mobility sector, with an average rider rating above 4.7 out of 5.

Set in the heart of the Saudi capital Riyadh, KAFD is home to 1.6 million square meters of state-of-the-art office space, world-class venues and iconic luxury residences, designed to transform the way urban communities live, work, learn and play. A landmark development, KAFD is a key driver of Riyadh’s economic ambitions, and is owned and managed by the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC).