New Riyadh metro rules 2025: What you'll pay, how they're enforced, and smart ways to avoid penalties

Riyadh Public Transport has published a set of new rules and fines for users of the Riyadh Metro to keep trains clean, safe and on time. Most everyday slips (eating, feet on seats, fare evasion) carry modest penalties — SAR100–SAR200 — while deliberate damage or major safety violations can trigger very large fines and even criminal charges. Read on for the exact penalty list, how fines are enforced, where to pay or appeal, and simple common-sense tips to keep you fine-free.

Riyadh metro fines list
Here are the penalties commuters are likely to encounter — the short version you can memorize:

• Eating or drinking on the train: SAR 100. Avoid food or drinks inside carriages.
  
• Smoking or vaping onboard: SAR 200. Smoking is strictly banned inside vehicles and many station areas.
  
• Strong odours / perishable food or bulky unapproved items: SAR 200. Keep smelly foods and large items out of carriages.
  
• Travelling without a valid ticket / fare evasion: SAR 200 + applicable fare (inspectors can add the fine on top of the fare). Validate your ticket.
  
• Putting feet on seats / occupying priority seats without reason: SAR 200. Courtesy rules protect seats for others.
  
• Bringing non-foldable scooters, bikes, skateboards (not permitted): SAR 200. Pushable strollers and mobility aids are allowed.
  
• Sleeping in prohibited areas / disturbing passengers or staff (loud phone calls, blocking doors): SAR 200. Keep noise and obstruction to a minimum.
  
• Dangerous behaviour (sticking body out windows, hanging off exterior): SAR 300. This is classed as a safety risk.
  
• Vandalism, tampering with equipment or unauthorized access: SAR 500 (and higher for serious damage). Deliberate damage carries much harsher penalties. Major infrastructure misuse or repeat/dangerous offences: fines scale steeply up to tens/hundreds of thousands of SAR — and repeat offenders may face penalties up to SR10 million and possible imprisonment in the most extreme cases. (These are handled under rail/transport law to protect critical infrastructure.)
  

Why two different ranges appear in the press: short, everyday fines (SAR100–500) are set to manage passenger behavior; a separate regulatory framework sets much larger penalties for sabotage, infrastructure damage or repeat, serious offences.

How fines are enforced, paid and — if needed — appealed
Riyadh Public Transport (RPT) enforces the rules using station staff, onboard inspectors and CCTV; fines may be issued on the spot or registered via the system and tied to your ticket or card. For commuters this means: validate your ticket, follow signage, and keep a receipt if you are issued a notice.

If you do get a notice:

• Ask staff for the violation slip and keep any proof (ticket, photo, time). RPT has customer care contacts for queries.
  
• Pay online via national portals — many government fines can be paid through Saudi platforms such as My.gov.sa / Sadad / Efaa or the specific payment method listed on the fine. (Check the violation notice for payment instructions.
  
• To contest a fine call RPT customer care (the RPT contact page lists phone and email) or follow the appeals instructions on the notice; keep evidence and timelines ready. If a fine is a traffic-style government violation it may also appear on national e-services.

What it means for daily commuters — quick, common-sense tips to stay fine-free
Riyadh’s new rules mostly target nuisance behavior and real safety threats. For the average rider a few small habits prevent trouble:

• Always validate your Darb card or digital ticket before boarding. The ticket system is linked to fine enforcement.
  
• Don’t eat, drink or smoke on trains. Enjoy snacks at stations or before/after journeys. SAR100–200 is easily avoidable.
  
• Keep feet off seats and respect priority seats. It’s cheap to follow and the fine is real.
  
• Fold or avoid bringing big wheeled devices (non-foldable scooters/bikes are not permitted). Use permitted luggage zones
  
• If you see damage or safety hazards, report it to station staff or RPT hotlines reporting helps protect the system and may spare you liability if you were unaware.
  

For everyday Riyadh riders the message is simple: these fines are designed to keep rides clean and safe most penalties are small but enforceable. The expensive, high-end penalties are aimed at protecting transport infrastructure and public safety, don’t test those. Validate your ticket, follow signage, keep your phone on low volume, and you’ll travel fine-free.