RIYADH, 11 August — Acting Communications Minister Dr. Osama Shubokshi yesterday signed 10 contracts worth SR710 million ($189 million) with several local companies for the construction of two roads, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The first road links the central province of Qassim with Hail in the north, a distance of 185 kms (115 miles).
The second project is set to widen the 282- km (176-mile) road connecting the Kingdom’s eastern border posts to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The new road projects to expand the Kingdom’s international highways leading to Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are significant as the present narrow roads have caused a number of accidents over the past years.
The contracts were awarded to Al-Jazeera Company, Abdul Aali Al-Ajami Company, Al-Injaz Trading & Contracting Company and Arabian Contracting Company. The projects will be completed within three to four years.
Last year, Communications Minister Dr. Nasir Al-Salloum said the Kingdom had allocated SR20 billion ($5.4 billion) for road projects over the next several years.
The new roads, totaling 3,950 kms (2,470 miles), will link the vast Kingdom’s major cities with its more remote provinces.
The ministry has placed the construction of a 990-km (620-mile) road linking Qassim to Hudaitha on the border with Jordan at the top of its priorities.
Saudi Arabia has more than 50,000 kms (31,250 miles) of paved roads, of which 5,000 kms (3,125 miles) are motorways.
The Kingdom is also planning a number of rail links that are expected to cost the country billions of dollars.
