RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) has announced a major initiative to upgrade public utility services and improve the conditions of rest houses and service centers along highways in the central region of the country in cooperation with various government agencies.
Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of the SCTA, said yesterday the upgrade of tourism infrastructure would be implemented in a staggered schedule across the Kingdom.
“The issue of road signs, road stops and rest houses is critical and we will exert necessary efforts to take corrective measures starting with the main and secondary roads of Riyadh in cooperation with the Riyadh municipality.”
Abdul Aziz bin Mohammad bin Ayyaf Al-Muqrin, SCTA secretary-general for Riyadh province, and Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy, president of Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attended a meeting convened to discuss this initiative.
Riyadh is being given priority due to its large population and central location. “More than 80 percent of our people travel by road,” said the prince.
“The situation of service points along the roads are not in line with the plans and status of the Kingdom. The SCTA is concerned about the poor conditions,” Prince Sultan said.
Saudi Arabia has allocated SR11.5 billion for road construction in a renewed bid to expand its modern transport network.
The length of roads to be constructed during the current fiscal year will total 8,250 km. The budget will cover the cost of several new roads serving rural, agricultural areas, whose total length will be 2,118 km. The new agricultural roads will help diversify the local economy, giving a major boost to the sector.
The Ministry of Transport will also study and design new road projects, including SR84 million worth of highway development.
The Kingdom has spent more than SR150 billion on the construction of roads in the past five years. The total length of roads in the country has increased from 42,249 km in 1994 to more than 175,000 km in 2008.
