JEDDAH, 30 August 2004 — Plans are afoot to establish an international transport center at Jeddah’s Old Airport to operate bus services to a number of Middle Eastern, North African and East European countries.
The land transportation committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is working on the project, which involves a total capital investment of more than SR2 billion.
“Some 2,000 buses will be put into service under the project,” says Ali Hassan Nagoor, chairman of the committee.
The new transport center is designed to serve more than 400,000 passengers annually. “In the initial stage, buses will be operated to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Yemen. Later on it will be expanded to cover Iran as well as East European and North African countries,” Nagoor told Arab News.
The Jeddah Municipality has proposed a number of places to establish the center including the old airport area in Sharafiya.
“We’ll start the project once the location is finalized,” Nagoor said, adding that it will operate like European transport centers. The project will include establishment of air-conditioned resting rooms, restaurants, supermarkets, gift shops, Internet cafes and sports facilities.
Nagoor estimated that the construction alone will cost more than SR40 million and said that a joint-stock company will be formed to raise capital for the project.
There are more than 50 transport companies, besides the Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO), operating international services from Jeddah. Their offices are scattered all over Jeddah, especially along the Crown Prince Street, Hail Street and Madinah Road.
“Many of these companies will benefit from the project as they lack the necessary services that attract passengers,” Nagoor said.
He hoped that the center would trigger competition among companies to provide international transport service. It will also encourage a large number of passengers to opt for bus services, which are cheaper compared to other means of transport, he added.
“The project will also help unify land transport charges of companies operating in Jeddah and improve their services such as ticketing, providing first-class service and supplying hot meals during journey,” he said.
Nagoor hoped that the number of international bus passengers from Jeddah would increase to more than a million, Haj and Umrah pilgrims including, within 10 years.
He pointed out that the committee had made a proposal to the Transport Ministry to enact a law that would give reciprocal treatment to buses from Saudi Arabia in foreign countries, allowing them to carry passengers from those countries. “Once the proposal is agreed, it will boost the Saudi transport industry,” he said.
