RIYADH: The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has begun construction of a new metro station serving the Expo 2030 site, with capacity for up to 19,000 passengers per hour, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The station is on the Riyadh Metro’s Yellow Line, which is linked to King Khalid International Airport.

It will be built above King Salman Road, within a green corridor, a landscaped strip of land, linking the Expo 2030 Riyadh site to the east with future urban development areas to the west.

Covering about 70,000 sq. meters, the station features a steel dome 134 meters wide that provides shaded areas for visitors. The dome rests on eight branching columns modeled on acacia trees.

The commission also unveiled the station’s design, which draws on Riyadh’s natural landscape, including its valleys.

The station will boast about 44,000 sq. meters of green space, and solar power will cover about 25 percent of its energy consumption.

Construction is scheduled to coincide with development of the Expo 2030 site, with the station expected to be completed ahead of the exhibition’s opening.

It will remain part of the metro network after the exhibition ends, serving the surrounding area as the city grows.

Construction will follow a traffic plan coordinated with the relevant authorities. It includes alternative routes to reduce the impact on traffic and nearby neighborhoods.

The commission’s purchase of 94 new trains, announced last month, is part of proactive preparations for future growth of the capital’s mobility, ensuring the system keeps pace with the city’s evolution and needs in the coming years.

Future events include Expo 2030 Riyadh and the 2034 FIFA World Cup.