Jeddah
UMR Index
Score: 39.5%
Sustainable Mobility
Score: 26.4%
Public Transit
Score: 28.1%
| Population | 4.7 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 1,261 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 3,724 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 22,654 |
What Jeddah Does Well in Urban Mobility
This Red Sea coastal city offers strong road connectivity infrastructure. In recent years, Jeddah has improved the quality of its roads and aims to have one of the best road networks in the world by 2030.
Jeddah is trying to increase public transit ridership by providing affordable bus fares and plans for a city-wide metro are underway.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility and Public Transit scores
Challenges and Opportunities for Jeddah’s Transportation System
Jeddah does not have strong electric vehicle (EV) penetration, with few EV purchase incentives and limited charging options. However, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has launched an EV infrastructure company with plans to install over 5,000 charging stations across the country by 2030.
As with much of the region, Jeddah's residents prefer cars over more active modes of mobility such as walking and cycling. The city has tried to increase active mobility utilization with the introduction of a network of cycling paths that connect residential areas with commercial and recreational areas.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
How Jeddah Can Improve Its Sustainable Mobility
While the Saudi government has invested more in recent years in EVs and charging infrastructure, Jeddah still lags behind many of its peers in EV incentives. To help close this gap, the city could increase its purchase subsidies, tax exemptions, and grants for charging station installation, or introduce non-monetary incentives like dedicated EV lanes. The previously mentioned plans to build charging infrastructure show the country’s intent to expand EV access. In addition, the city could implement a low-emission zone to limit combustion engine car usage and encourage EV adoption.
Jeddah lags behind many of its peers with limited congestion management systems. These systems can support pedestrian and cyclist safety by restricting cars from specific roads and increasing the efficiency of foot and bike traffic. The city can follow the example of other cities in small increments at first, such as during cooler months or on specific days of the week, and then look to expand them based on public perception and utilization.