RIYADH, 6 June 2005 — Saudi minister of transport, Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry, yesterday awarded contracts worth SR878 million to various road-building companies. The total length of the new roads will be 1,065 kilometers. “The new projects are part of an ambitious expansion plan of the road network inside the country,” said Al-Seraisry, after signing the contracts. The minister signed some 17 deals with Saudi contractors who will implement the projects. The projects will be in different regions including Makkah, Riyadh, Asir, Al-Qassim, Hail, Tabuk, Al-Jouf, Al-Baha, Najran, the Eastern Province and the Northern Border region. Saudi Arabia has spent more than SR135 billion on road construction. The total amount of concrete and asphalted roads in the Kingdom has reached 50,000 kms from a mere 239 kms in 1952, when the Ministry of Transport came into existence as a separate government agency. The total length of agricultural and rural roads is more than 108,000 kms.