RKH Qitarat

What RKH Qitarat does

RKH Qitarat LLC is a joint venture between French public transport operators RATP Dev and Keolis, and Qatari conglomerate Hamad Group, established to operate and maintain Qatar's urban rail networks. The company was awarded a 20-year, multi-billion dollar operations and maintenance contract by Qatar Rail, the state-owned railway company, in December 2017. Its scope covers the Doha Metro, a 76 km driverless network with 37 stations across three lines (Red, Green, Gold), and the Lusail Tram, a 28 km system serving Lusail City. The Doha Metro Phase 1 launched progressively between May 2019 and December 2019, while the Lusail Tram Orange Line opened in January 2022 with three additional lines planned.

The company's technical platform is built on fully automated driverless train control systems, with Doha Metro capable of speeds up to 100 km/h and per-line capacity of 8,000+ passengers per hour per direction. The fleet comprises 110 three-car driverless metro trains (with Gold Class, Family Class, and Standard Class configurations) and 28 five-car trams. Stations feature air-conditioned indoor environments, customer service centers, prayer areas, free WiFi, retail shops, and accessibility provisions. Inputs from RATP Dev (1.5 billion annual passengers across 15 countries) and Keolis (3 billion annual passengers across 16 countries) provide the operational playbook and training infrastructure.

RKH Qitarat operates a Business-to-Government managed services model, with revenue generated entirely from its long-term contract with Qatar Rail rather than from passenger fares. Fares are set by Qatar Rail, not RKH Qitarat. Headcount is in the 1,001–5,000 range, reflecting the operational scale of running both networks. The company's mission is explicitly tied to Qatar National Vision 2030, positioning it as a long-tenure infrastructure operator with high regulatory barriers to entry and minimal competitive threat within the contract term.

Name

RKH Qitarat

Legal name

RKH Qitarat LLC

Website

https://rkhqitarat.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

RKH Qitarat is a joint venture of RATP Dev, Keolis, and Hamad Group that operates and maintains Qatar's Doha Metro and Lusail Tram under a 20-year contract with Qatar Rail, delivering driverless urban rail services to the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Rail Transit Operations and Maintenance

NAICS

Urban Transit Systems (48511), Mixed Mode Transit Systems (485111), Commuter Rail Systems (485112)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Metro/Urban Rail Operators (Integrated Multimodal Agencies) (TLAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metro/Subway Operators (THAIABAA), Tram/Light Rail Stops & Stations (THAIALAC)

Keywords

• Driverless metro operations
• Tram operations
• Rail maintenance services
• Urban rail transit
• Public transportation operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Doha

HQ country

Qatar

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Rail Operations Contract: RKH Qitarat operates under a 20-year operations and maintenance contract with Qatar Railways (Qatar Rail). Revenue is generated through this long-term government contract for operating and maintaining the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks. The company does not directly charge passengers but provides transport services on behalf of the state-owned railway company.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

RKH Qitarat operates and maintains the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram public rail networks in Qatar under a 20-year contract with state-owned Qatar Rail. The Doha Metro comprises three lines (Red, Green, Gold) spanning 76 km with 37 stations and 110 three-car driverless trains operating at up to 100 km/h. The Lusail Tram network comprises four planned lines (Orange, Turquoise, Pink, Purple) with 28 trams serving Lusail City and connecting to Doha Metro at Lusail and Legtaifiya stations. Stations are air-conditioned and equipped with customer service centers, prayer areas, free WiFi, retail shops, security cameras, and accessibility facilities.

Product overview

RKH Qitarat operates and maintains two distinct public transportation systems: Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. Doha Metro is a mass rapid transit system with 3 lines (Red, Green, Gold), 37 stations, and 75 driverless trains operating on 76 km of track at speeds up to 100 km/h. Lusail Tram is an internal tram system serving Lusail City with 4 planned lines, 28 trams, and 25 stations, connecting to Doha Metro at Lusail and Legtaifiya stations. Both systems feature air-conditioned stations with customer service centers, prayer areas, free WiFi, and accessibility features. The company operates these systems under a 20-year contract with Qatar Rail.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doha Metro Mass rapid transit system consisting of three lines (Red, Green, Gold) with 37 stations and 110 three-car driverless trains operating on 76 km of track, capable of speeds up to 100 km/h and carrying more than 8,000 customers per hour per direction on each line. Operated and maintained by RKH Qitarat on behalf of Qatar Rail for residents, commuters, airport travelers, and visitors across Doha.
• Lusail Tram Internal tram network serving Lusail City with four planned lines (Orange, Turquoise, Pink, Purple), 28 five-car trams capable of replacing around 40 road vehicles each, and 25 planned stations connecting Lusail residents to Doha Metro at Lusail and Legtaifiya stations. Operated and maintained by RKH Qitarat on behalf of Qatar Rail.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8000+ passengers per hour per direction capacity on each Doha Metro line
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• RATP DevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRATP Dev is a French public transport operator present in 15 countries on four continents, with more than 1.5 billion passengers traveling on its network every year. RATP Dev forms one of the three parent companies in the RKH Qitarat joint venture, bringing global expertise in metro and tram operations to Qatar's rail network.
• KeoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeolis is a French public transport operator employing 58,300 people in 16 countries, with over 3 billion passengers worldwide having used its shared mobility services. Keolis is one of the three founding partners of the RKH Qitarat joint venture, contributing extensive international experience in operating driverless metro systems and integrated transport networks.
• Hamad GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHamad Group is a diversified Qatari group active in construction, real estate, and trading, both in Qatar and on international markets. As the local partner in the joint venture, Hamad Group provides domestic market knowledge and contributes to developing Qatar's railway capabilities and industry.
• Qatar Rail (Qatar Railways Company)coreOthersQatar Rail is the state-owned railway company responsible for rail transport in Qatar. Established in 2011, Qatar Rail leads the design, construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of the entire rail network and systems. Qatar Rail is RKH Qitarat's client, having awarded the company a 20-year contract in December 2017 to operate and maintain the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• RATP Dev: The other founding parent of RKH Qitarat and a French public transport operator active in 15 countries serving 1.5B+ passengers annually. RATP Dev operates and maintains metros, trams, and bus networks worldwide and is the most direct corporate and operational analog to RKH Qitarat.
• Keolis: One of RKH Qitarat's parent companies and a global operator of driverless metros, trams, and urban transit systems. Keolis operates in 16 countries with 58,300 employees and 3B+ annual passengers, making it directly comparable as a large-scale public transit operator and concession holder.
• Deutsche Bahn International Operations: International consulting and operating arm of Deutsche Bahn, active in driverless and conventional metro operations in the Middle East (e.g., Riyadh Metro consortium). A direct comparable as a European state-affiliated rail operator competing for GCC contracts.

Direct peers

• MTR Corporation: Hong Kong-based rail operator that runs its own metro network and licenses operations/maintenance of driverless and conventional metros globally (e.g., UK, Sweden, mainland China, Australia). MTR is a global benchmark for outsourced metro O&M concessions and competes directly for similar contracts.
• Transdev: A leading French-headquartered global public transport operator that competes for metro, tram, and urban transit operation/maintenance contracts. Transdev is a direct competitor of RKH Qitarat's parents for similar concessions worldwide and is a likely re-bidder at contract expiry.
• National Express Group: UK-listed operator of bus, coach, and urban transit services including metro operations in markets such as Saudi Arabia. Comparable to RKH Qitarat as a Western-headquartered multi-modal public transport operator with Middle East concessions.
• ComfortDelGro Transit: Singapore-based land transport operator with bus and rail operations globally, including rail-related services in the Middle East. Comparable to RKH Qitarat as an international multi-modal transit operator pursuing long-duration operating concessions.
• Serco Group: Serco operates the Dubai Metro under contract with the Roads and Transport Authority, making it one of the few Western operators running a Gulf driverless metro system. Highly comparable to RKH Qitarat as a third-party operator of GCC metro infrastructure.

Regional players

• Hyundai Rotem / Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Rail JV): Korean rail OEM and EPC contractor with major Middle East metro deployment references including Riyadh Metro. Comparable to RKH Qitarat as a participant in large-scale GCC metro development, operating from a regional rather than GCC-domestic base.

Emerging players

• CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles): Spanish rolling stock manufacturer and turnkey transit services provider active in Middle East rail projects. Comparable to RKH Qitarat as an international player delivering integrated rail vehicles, systems, and increasingly operations support in the GCC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rkh-qitaratqa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RKH Qitarat