Qiddiya Investment Company has announced a partnership with Google Transit to integrate Qiddiya City’s transport services into Google Maps. This initiative provides visitors with real-time journey information, covering electric bus routes, Riyadh Metro connections, and major attractions such as Six Flags Qiddiya City and Aquarabia.
The partnership with Google Transit will offer visitors to Qiddiya City a seamlessly connected experience with real-time journey information from the moment they plan their trip. As the world’s first city Powered by Play, with the greatest entertainment, sports and culture attractions set to be located in one place alongside new homes, offices, hotels and retail, the Google Maps integration will become an increasingly powerful tool.
Customers searching today for Qiddiya City’s recently opened assets, including Six Flags Qiddiya City, the Middle East’s largest waterpark, Aquarabia, Park and Ride 1, which is the service connecting the car park to Six Flags and Aquarabia, and the soon-to-open Sir Nick Faldo signature-designed 18-hole Championship Golf Course, will be guided toward the appropriate arrival and interchange points within the city.
The initiative will also enable the service routes and timetables for the Qiddiya City Bus, the intercity electric bus link between Qiddiya City and Riyadh Metro stations STC in Olaya and Jeddah Road, to appear as public transport options within Google Maps. Visitors planning a journey to Qiddiya City will be able to view Qiddiya City Bus connections as part of an integrated public transport journey, including connections with Riyadh Metro and other available public transport services.
As Qiddiya City transitions to its full fleet of electric Qiddiya City Bus and Park and Ride buses, its Intelligent Transport Systems infrastructure will support the publication of real-time operational information. This will include vehicle locations, estimated arrival times, timetable adherence and occupancy information, helping visitors make more informed decisions throughout their journeys.
Abdulrahman AlAli, Chief Technology Officer at Qiddiya Investment Company, said: “As the world’s first city Powered by Play, Qiddiya City is designed around seamless experiences, and technology is a critical enabler of that vision. By integrating our transport network with Google Transit, we are bringing together real-time data, digital innovation, and customer-centric design to make travel to and within Qiddiya City simpler, smarter, and more connected.
Rodd Staples, Chief of Transport at Qiddiya Investment Company, said: “Our commitment is to make Qiddiya City one of the most connected cities in the world, from the future Qiddiya High Speed Rail, which connects to Riyadh in just 17 minutes, through to transport options within the city itself. Making Qiddiya City easy to reach and effortless to navigate is fundamental to the experience we are creating. Our integration with Google Transit will connect customers with clear, accurate and increasingly real-time journey information from the moment they begin planning their visit.”
“As our electric Qiddiya City Bus and Park and Ride network expands, this integration will help us deliver a more seamless, sustainable and customer-focused transport experience across Qiddiya City.”
Sarah-Jayne Williams, Geo Product Partnerships Director at Google, said: “Google Maps helps people understand their transport options and navigate their journeys with confidence. We look forward to working with Qiddiya Investment Company to bring information about Qiddiya City’s growing public transport network to Google Maps and make journey planning easier for visitors.”
Artefact supported the onboarding process of Qiddiya as an official Google Transit Partner by standardising Qiddiya’s transit schedule data into GTFS, the global open standard used to share routes, stops, and schedules with third-party platforms, publishing the GTFS feed through the Transit portal, and conducting quality assurance jointly with Google and the Qiddiya team.
Artefact supported the onboarding process of Qiddiya Investment Company as an official Google Transit Partner by standardising Qiddiya City’s transit schedule data into GTFS, the global open standard used to share routes, stops, and schedules with third-party platforms, publishing the GTFS feed through the Transit portal. Artefact conducted quality assurance jointly with Google and the Qiddiya Investment Company team.
Christelle Salame, Managing Partner – Global Lead for Real Estate and Small Cities, Artefact said, “Artefact is honoured to have supported the integration with Google Transit, a significant milestone that reflects our strategic partnership with Qiddiya Investment Company, particularly through our collaboration with the Data & AI Office. As Google Cloud’s AI Partner of the Year for EMEA for two consecutive years, and with deep expertise across data and AI technologies, Artefact looks forward to continuing to support Qiddiya Investment Company in delivering innovative data- and AI-powered initiatives. Together, we share a commitment to advancing practical, high-impact transformation programs that create lasting value across the organisation.”
The Google Transit integration forms part of Qiddiya City’s wider approach to connected mobility, bringing together digital journey planning, public transport services, Park and Ride facilities and real-time customer information. The initiative will be introduced progressively as Qiddiya City’s transport services and destinations become operational.
