Metro Riyadh Arabic & Latin Typeface

The Riyadh Public Transport Authority in Saudi Arabia initiated one of the biggest public transport projects in the Kingdom to date: Metro Riyadh; a rapid transit system under construction in the capital of Saudi, envisioned to be the backbone of the city’s public transport. The project compromises the construction of a six lines metro, in addition to a bus system and other transport services in Riyadh.

Tarek Atrissi Design was commissioned to create a custom bilingual typeface, Arabic and Latin, to be the corporate font for the new public transport system and to be at the essence of the brand designed for this ambitious project, the King Abdulaziz Project for Public Transport. The goal of the project was to create an Arabic typeface that is distinct, recognizable, and relevant to the brand: suggesting a dynamic spirit and that is confident and legible as a display font. In addition, a Latin matching font was needed to allow bilingual communication.

A long design process took place in order to determine the style of the typeface, which required to fit the brand developed in parallel for the project and that had to appeal to the local target group in Saudi Arabia. The typeface consisted of three bilingual weights. Its geometric construction is inspired by the Kufi calligraphic Arabic style, and is characterized by a slight inclination that suggests movement.

The typeface is widely in use in Saudi Arabia in various campaigns and information outlets about the anticipated metro project. The project is estimated to be completed in 2018, promising an even wider visibility of this typeface.

The short video below is an introduction video in Arabic by the Riyadh Public Transport Authority about the first metro project in Saudi Arabia.