While unveiling the plans, Khaled Shamouth, Chairman of Public Transport Authority in Makkah, said: "We are launching a mass transit system that will cater to the growing population of the city as well as millions of pilgrims who visit Makkah every year."
"We receive three million Haj pilgrims every year and more than five million Umrah pilgrims. This calls for a massive and innovative service. We are planning to have a metro network. Work on the phase one of the project will begin in 2016," Shamouth said.
Complementing the metro network will be a modern bus service, initially operated by 400 buses on 100 routes. The network will be supported by 400 bus stops serving the entire city and will connect with metro at multiple locations.
The city does not currently have an MRT system.
