Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar)

Sila: Connecting Transport to One Network

By Ola Diab

Sila is a new app, aiming to bring together the country’s transport modes into one network.

Getting around Qatar has become almost seamless in recent years. It will soon be a lot easier once most of the road infrastructure is complete and even easier with the new and upcoming app, Sila, an integrated public transport system that makes planning your journey and payment a whole lot smarter. The Ministry of Transport recently unveiled Sila, a brand that brings together Qatar’s transport modes into one network, in collaboration with transport providers such as Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail), Mowasalat (Karwa), Qatar Foundation and Msheireb Properties. By bringing together Qatar’s transport services, Sila aims to improve the accessibility of the country’s transport network. Sila, which means ‘connection’ in Arabic, will be launched in phases. Currently, it includes the metro, bus, taxi and tram networks. When fully launched, Sila will include a series of projects and initiatives designed to give people the smartest choices for travel, including contactless payment, integrated payment through the Sila card, and the Sila journey planning app and website. Through the 'Sila' project, the Ministry of Transport aims to bring together the means of transportation operating in Qatar under one umbrella, and to improve and ease the use of the public transport network, in order to enhance the transportation process for citizens, residents and visitors. In the near future, it will activate the trip planning feature on the Sila app and its website, and this feature will allow transportation users to plan their trips in an integrated way. The project also enables transportation users to look for the best routes and means of transportation that can be used and combined to reach their desired destination. The use of the Sila app and website also provides access to information on public transportation, parking and station locations, general layout of stations, flight schedules and routes. Other initiatives – which will be unveiled in the near future – include integrated and contactless payment methods, introducing new services and transport modes, and promoting the transport network through public awareness and marketing initiatives to reach a wider audience within Qatar. For more information, find Sila’s social media pages: Facebook: @silaqatar Instagram: @sila_qatar Twitter: @sila_qatar Website: sila.motc.gov.qa m