Remarkable Roads of Saudi Arabia

THE ROADS SECTOR IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA IS CONSIDERED AS ONE OF THE MAJOR PILLARS OF DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IN THE COUNTRY.

IN 1420 H, THE LENGTH OF THE ROAD NETWORKS IN THE COUNTRY REACHED ABOUT 152,000 KILOMETERS, INCLUDING 45,500 KILOMETERS OF THE ASPHALTED ROADS.

IN ADDITION TO THE ASPHALTED AND PAVED ROADS, THE KINGDOM HAS MORE THAN 106,000 KMs OF THE PAVED AGRICULTURAL ROADS.

THE ROAD NETWORKS WERE IMPLEMENTED AT A TOTAL COST OF MORE THAN SR 132 BILLION, WHILE SR 15 BILLION WERE SPENT ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THESE ROAD NETWORKS.

THE ROADS INCLUDE MAKKAH-MADINAH HIGHWAY (LENGTH: 421 KMS), JEDDAH-MAKKAH HIGHWAY (60 KMS), RIYADH-SIDEIR-AL-QASSIM HIGHWAY (317KMS), RIYADH-DAMMAM HIGHWAY (383 KMS), RIYADH-TAIF HIGHWAY (750 KMS), JEDDAH-AL-LEITH-JIZAN HIGHWAY (725 KMS), MADINAH-TABUK HIGHWAY(680 KMS) AND AL-QASSIM-HAIL HIGHWAY (305 KMS).

THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS HAS CONSTRUCTED 'RING' ROADS AROUND SOME MAJOR CITIES TO FACILITATE THE TRAFFIC MOVEMENT. THESE CIRCLE ROADS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH THE REQUIRED SERVICES, FACILITIES AND SAFETY MEANS.

IN THE LIGHT OF THE GROUND UNDULATIONS IN THE COUNTRY, THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS HAS CONSTRUCTED ASPHALTED ROADS, FLYOVERS AND TUNNELS THAT PENETRATE THE HIGH MOUNTAINS IN THE VALLEYS.

THE PROJECTS RECENTLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE MINISTRY INCLUDED THE PROJECT OF THE 763-METER HANGING BRIDGE AT WADI-LABEN IN RIYADH.

THE PROJECT WAS IMPLEMENTED AT A TOTAL COST OF SR 190 MILLION.

IN ORDER TO ENSURE SAFETY AT THE ROADS, THE MINISTRY ORGANIZED 13 EXHIBITIONS ON 'SAFETY OF ROADS AND TRANSPORT' IN VARIOUS REGIONS OF THE KINGDOM.

THE SEAPORTS OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA HANDLED NEARLY 1.4 BILLION TONS OF GOODS DURING THE LAST 24 YEARS.

THESE SEAPORTS HAVE BECOME OUTLETS TO APPROXIMATELY 95 PERCENT OF THE KINGDOM'S EXPORTS AND IMPORTS.

THE GENERAL ORGANIZATION OF THE SEAPORTS SAID IN ITS REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1419/1420H THAT THE KINGDOM HAS 8 SEAPORTS COMPRISING 83PIERS THAT CAN RECEIVE THE LARGEST SHIPS OF THE WORLD.

THE REPORT EXPLAINED THAT THE GOODS WHICH WERE HANDLED BY SAUDI COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SEAPORTS WERE 88.5 MILLION TONS IN THE YEAR1419/1420H. EXPORTS REACHED 59.4 MILLION TONS OF THESE GOODS.

IT NOTED THAT THE EXPORTS WERE MOSTLY REFINED OIL PRODUCTS , PETROCHEMICALS AND INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS.

THE ORGANIZATION NOTED THAT THE IMPORTS WERE 29.1 MILLION TONS COMPRISING FOODSTUFFS, CONSTRUCTION AND RAW MATERIALS AND CONSUMER GOODS.

IT DISCLOSED THAT THE NUMBER OF 'GOODS DELIVERY' CONTAINERS INCREASED BY 4.6 PERCENT IN 1419/1420H COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S FIGURE AS THESE CONTAINERS TOTALED 1,442,786.

THE REPORT SAID THAT THE MAJOR SEAPORTS OF THE KINGDOM RECEIVED 10,229 SHIPS IN 1419/1420H , AN INCREASE OF 291 SHIPS AS COMPARED TO THE FIGURES OF PREVIOUS YEAR.

THE ORGANIZATION SAID THAT THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS WHO USED THESE SEAPORTS REACHED 1,557,004 IN 1419/1420H, AN INCREASE OF 227,086 PASSENGERS OVER THE FIGURE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.