Urban Transport Energy Demand Model for Riyadh: Methodology and Preliminary Analysis

Saudi Arabia intends to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 278 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually by 2030, according to its Nationally Determined Contribution to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Among many policies it is introducing, a mass transit system and transit-oriented development are being advanced with the expectation of reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions in Riyadh. To what extent such an initiative can reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions is an important question. In this paper, a methodology is developed to systematically measure the impact of mass transit and transit-oriented development in Riyadh on energy demand.

Mapping the Net-Zero Pathways for Sustainable Transport Systems in Saudi Arabia: The Role of Life Cycle Assessment

Net-zero pathways have become a key climate goal that can help promote a carbon-neutral future by balancing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with emissions removed from the atmosphere. These pathways provide strategic frameworks and roadmaps for countries to reduce GHG emissions significantly. For instance, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) transport sector is responsible for more than one-fifth of KSA GHG emissions. Net-zero pathways are highly relevant for frameworks designed to reduce the sector’s GHG emissions, as they help set long-term climate goals such as emission reduction strategies, technology selection and innovation and inform policies and regulations. However, a holistic approach is needed to design net-zero pathways that are effective in practice. The circular carbon economy (CCE) framework adopted by KSA supports this holistic approach. Nonetheless, implementing the CCE framework in the transport sector requires identifying GHG emission sources and driving systemic changes via a life cycle assessment (LCA). This manuscript introduces the LCA approach and its interplay with the CCE framework. This study provides a background for further research in the KSA transport sector to map out plausible net-zero pathways for sustainable transport systems in Saudi Arabia.

The Role of Intelligent Transportation Systems and Artificial Intelligence in Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction

Despite the technological advancements in the transportation sector, the industry continues to grapple with increasing energy consumption and vehicular emissions, which intensify environmental degradation and climate change. The inefficient management of traffic flow, the underutilization of transport network interconnectivity, and the limited implementation of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven predictive models pose significant challenges to achieving energy efficiency and emission reduction.

Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) and Energy Consumption – Global and Local Contexts

There is growing concern about the environmental impact of transport systems. The increase in energy consumption and vehicle emissions is the main contributor to the problem. Several studies have tested hypotheses about the relationship between the urban structure, especially high density, and energy consumption in the transport system.

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Urban Transport Energy Demand Model for Riyadh: Methodology and a Preliminary Analysis

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