Latest news with #metro
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘Society in one place': Saudis embrace metro life as decades-old social divisions start to fade
RIYADH, June 4 — For decades, civil servant Zayed al-Ghamdi's social circles in Saudi Arabia were more than predictable, bound by routine and kinship in a country where societal divisions have rarely been challenged. Then came the metro. A decade after breaking ground, Riyadh's gleaming new metro opened in December, offering the capital's eight million residents an alternative to roads chronically clogged by its two million cars. A quicker commute is not the only difference: for the first time, the wealthy are sharing journeys with the less well off, and Saudi nationals are mixing with the large expat population, from white-collar workers to labourers. 'For 40 years, I was confined to my car or restaurants with my father and brothers, then with my wife and children,' Ghamdi, a 42-year-old civil servant working in downtown Riyadh, told AFP. 'I didn't mix or talk to anyone except those I knew or who resembled me. 'Now, things have changed. You feel that society, with all its classes, is in one place,' he added while speeding along the blue line, which connects working-class areas in the south with the downtown business district and affluent northern neighbourhoods. With its eye-watering oil riches, intricate tribal networks and large numbers of foreign workers, Saudi society has long been divided by rigid class structures. But on the metro, those divisions are more porous. Metro carriages are frequently crowded with labourers, university students, government employees and business executives wearing expensive suits. 'I can now discuss general topics with strangers and even get to know new things and cultures up close,' said 56-year-old engineer Nasser Al-Qahtani, pointing to a young Saudi holding a skateboard. 'Family and friends only' While the metro has done little to clear Riyadh's perennially gridlocked streets, its opening has been 'a major social and psychological event', said sociologist Mohammed Al-Hamza. 'The metro has shifted the mindset of Saudi society. It has made people come closer together,' he said. 'The culture in Saudi Arabia is one of family and friends only, and there is reluctance to get to know new people.' Along with chipping away at class divisions, the system is saving commuters time and money, to the delight of many. 'I used to get to work in over an hour and a half, exhausted and stressed due to traffic,' said Ghamdi, adding that he had hardly used his prized SUV for months. 'Now I arrive relaxed and without stress,' he added. Prices range from just four riyals (US$1) for a limited one-day pass to 140 riyals for a month. As in other countries in the Middle East and beyond, the metro offers family carriages reserved for women, children and couples. They afford women a safe and socially acceptable way to use the network to travel to work or study. For those willing to pay an extra 10 riyals per day, first-class compartments also offer a reprieve from the busy single-male carriages. For law student Hadeel Waleed, 20, the metro has been a game-changer, cutting her trip from the southern suburbs to Princess Nourah University from three to four hours to one hour or less. 'Now I arrive home with energy for my family and studying,' she told AFP. 'No one expected this usage' The project is one of many major infrastructure initiatives under 'Vision 2030' – the reform programme overseen by the kingdom's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. With six lines spanning about 176 kilometres (109 miles) of track, the network serves 85 stations, including stops at all terminals of Riyadh international airport. There had been fears among city officials that the huge project could prove a white elephant, with few Saudis deigning to use it. A bus network developed by the city struggled to gain traction as Saudis remained committed to their cars, especially during the hot summer months when temperatures hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). 'Honestly, for 10 years, the question was: 'Who will use the metro?'' a senior official who helps operate the system told AFP on condition of anonymity. 'No one ever expected the current level of usage or even the financial returns,' he added. The Royal Commission for Riyadh did not respond to AFP's enquiries about daily ridership but the official suggested the figure was likely in the tens of thousands if not more. Authorities are already hoping to expand the network, with a seventh line under development linking Riyadh to several new projects on the capital's outskirts. For Muneer, a 28-year-old government employee, the metro is a welcome addition to a city undergoing rapid change. 'It makes life easier,' he said. — AFP
Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
True Diamond Bags INR 26 Cr from India Quotient, Titan Capital, and Huddle Ventures
The fresh capital will be deployed to accelerate the Mumbai-based brand's omnichannel growth, particularly focusing on expanding offline retail presence. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Lab-grown diamond jewelry brand True Diamond has successfully raised INR 26 crore in its pre-series A funding round, led by India Quotient with continued support from existing investors Titan Capital Winners Fund and Huddle Ventures. The fresh capital will be deployed to accelerate the brand's omnichannel growth, particularly focusing on expanding offline retail presence. With retail stores already launched in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Noida, the brand plans to establish more outlets across India's metro cities, aiming to deliver immersive brand experiences blending design, storytelling, and exceptional service. True Diamond was co-founded in January 2024 by Parin Shah and Darayus Mehta, and is headquartered in Mumbai. The company was founded with a mission to modernise India's jewelry experience through sustainable luxury, cutting-edge design, and material innovation. True Diamond offers a diverse range of certified lab-grown diamond jewelry, including rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants, tennis bracelets, mangalsutras, and customised pieces, including a men's collection. "We never wanted to be just another jewelry brand," said Parin Shah, Co-founder of True Diamond. "We're building a next-gen brand experience through high-quality lab-grown diamonds, cutting-edge content, and a retail journey that breaks away from the conventional. This round gives us the ability to scale this vision faster." Since its inception, True Diamond claims to have built an impressive catalog of over 5,000 unique designs and achieved a 1.7x customer repeat rate, showcasing growing customer loyalty. Their standout innovations include offerings like 160+ facet Portuguese diamonds and black diamonds, appealing to India's new-age, conscious, and design-savvy consumers. Sahil Makkar of India Quotient noted, "We see immense potential in the lab-grown diamond and gold combination... True Diamond is evolving into an aspirational omnichannel retailer." Shiv Kapoor, VP at Titan Capital, added, "True Diamond has the chance to be the go-to brand for customers who want accessible luxury without compromising on design or experience."
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Amenities in place, but disabled still can't Mount railway station
CHENNAI: As part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the redeveloped St Thomas Mount railway station, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, has brought in additional amenities for rail passengers. These include a 12-foot-wide additional foot over bridge (FOB), digital display boards on platforms and FOBs, improved parking facility, and improved platform shelters. Positioned to become a key multimodal transport hub with connections to the MRTS, metro, and MTC bus services, the station has been redeveloped at a cost of Rs 11.04 crore. While the northern entrance (towards Alandur) has seen beautified and developed, the southern entrances (towards Adambakkam and Madipakkam) remain largely untouched. Four escalators have been installed to improve passenger movement, and the newly added digital boards displaying upcoming station schedules have been well received by commuters. Likewise, two escalators at the western side linking the FOB have received overwhelming patronage among users. A newly constructed FOB now connects the Metro and MRTS stations and links the northern and southern ends of the station, largely easing congestion that previously plagued the old six-metre-wide FOB at the eastern side. However, in terms of improving accessibility, especially for persons with disabilities (PwD) and the elderly, several concerns remain. The station lacked lifts and disabled-friendly ramps on all platforms except Platform 1A. S Jayalakshmi, a regular commuter and a person with disability, pointed out the station has an access ramp only at the main entrance leading to platform 1A. 'There is no such facility for platform 2, and lifts are also unavailable, which are essential for the elderly and persons with disabilities,' she said.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Baby boy found abandoned in stroller in train station after 'parents forgot six-month-old'
A baby boy was found abandoned in a stroller at a station after his parents reportedly forgot the six-month-old whilst he was asleep. The blunder happened on Tuesday evening at the Cacilhas South Terminal in Almada, south of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. Around 7.15pm a passerby noticed a stroller left abandoned at the station with no adults nearby which led them to call the police, local media Correio da Manha reports. Officers rushed to the scene and found the baby boy alone but safe and immediately carried out enquiries to find the parents. One witness described seeing a baby crying 'in a police officer's arms' as a moment that 'really stuck with me and one I'll never forget'. It was only an hour later that the parents came running into the terminal and explained they rushed out to catch the metro and didn't realise they had forgotten the stroller, with the baby, who had been left behind, a police spokesperson confirmed. The parents had left a ferry from Lisbon when they split while they tried to catch the metro. A misunderstanding meant that each parent thought the other had the stroller carrying the baby but failed to double check with each other, Portuguese newspaper Publico reports. In their rush to leave, the parents left behind the six-month-old and it was only once they realised what had happened that they returned to the station, around 45 minutes later. Following the alarming discovery and when they found officers looking after their child they were both questioned by police before being taken to a police station and were reunited with the child. After visiting their home and finding everything in order, authorities determined the child was in a safe environment and allowed the baby to go back home with the parents, who are foreign nationals without legal residency status in Portugal. One of the women who saw that happened shared on social media, saying the parents arrived almost an hour later, adding: 'He arrived first, she came quite a while afterwards. Something very strange happened there... The officer kept the baby with him the entire time. 'What I know is that both of them were taken away in a police vehicle, and the baby stayed with the officer who held her in his arms and didn't let go for a single minute. 'But I'm still in shock. '
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Arab News
Shoura Council calls for metro systems in major Saudi cities
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Shoura Council has called for studies into developing metro systems in the Kingdom's major cities, Asharq Al-Awsat has reported. On Tuesday, the council urged the Public Transport Authority to expand the training programs offered by the Saudi Logistics Academy. Council members also emphasized the importance of improving the standards used to evaluate the quality of shuttle transport services for pilgrims to ensure efficiency. They stressed the need to increase the passenger capacity of the Kingdom's railway network and to raise train speeds to match those of the Haramain High-Speed Railway, which spans the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah and offers transport for pilgrims. Riyadh's metro network opened in December last year and became fully operational in January. The Kingdom also has a passenger railway network connecting Riyadh with the Eastern Province and Northern Borders regions. One of the country's goals under Vision 2030 is to improve the public transport network with the aims of easing traffic congestion in cities and lowering carbon emissions.
