By Fares Karam

RIYADH 

Saudi Arabia has begun operational testing for the country’s first underground metro, the Saudi High Commission for the Development of Riyadh announced Thursday.

According to the commission, some two thirds of the project have already been completed.

In 2013, Saudi Arabia signed contracts for the planned metropolitan rail line with a handful of foreign firms, including Bechtel (U.S.), Fomento (Spain) and Ansaldo (Italy).

The planned metro line will be 176 kilometers long, boasting 35 stations along six routes. It is slated for completion in 2019.

In the absence of viable public transportation networks, Riyadh -- with a population of about eight million -- has long been plagued by traffic congestion.