Work at the Riyadh Metro site is progressing well with the majority of the main stations ready and the project likely to be completed in 2019, said a report citing a senior government official.

The metro will be 178 km long with six lines and 85 stations including underground, elevated and at-grade sections. The lines include the Green Line, the Blue Line, the Yellow Line, the Orange Line, the Red Line and the Purple Line.

About 26 per cent of the project work has been completed, reported the Arab News citing Riyadh Governor Prince Faisal bin Bander Al Saud.

The project is going full speed ahead in the execution of construction for the main track and the stations.

These include the Qasr Al Hakum station in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the Western Station, and the Fifth Hall Station at the King Khaled International Airport.

The difficult stage of the project is over and the work completed can now be seen on the surface, Prince Faisal said after inspiecting the site.

The number of workers on the project is expected to surge shortly. Currently, there are 31,000 workers including 7,000 engineers and administrators on the job, he stated.

This proves the project is moving according to plan and is in line with the development plan of the capital, he added.