RIYADH: Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry on Saturday signed contracts worth than SR3.3 billion ($800 million) with national companies to construct new roads in the Kingdom as part of a massive investment program, the Saudi Press Agency said.
The new projects aims at establishing roads with a total length of 1,253 kms in different provinces. They include three projects in Makkah, two in Madinah, six in Riyadh, three in Asir and three in Baha. Earlier this year the ministry signed road contracts worth SR8 billion.
Speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, Al-Seraisry said the Haramain railway project linking the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah was progressing well. He said the project is being supervised by the Supreme Commission for the Development of Makkah and Madinah.
The minister said he had recently inspected new road projects in the Eastern Province including the Dhahran-Ahsa Road. “There are three projects under implementation on this road. The first project will be completed within four and a half months while the second and third within a year and two months,” he said.
Al-Seraisry said the implementation of the three projects would result in the formation of an expressway between Dhahran, Abqaiq and Ahsa, adding that the expressway would have four tracks on each side.
He said the ministry has taken adequate precautions in coordination with provincial authorities to face the rainy season. He said the ministry would do everything possible to remove the obstacles facing contractors.
“There are two committees that meet regularly to remove obstacles,” Al-Seraisry said, adding that there is good cooperation between the Transport Ministry and other government agencies. Saudi Arabia, the largest Arab economy, has vowed to spend more than $400 billion as part of plans to diversify the economy, upgrade infrastructure and create jobs for its growing population of 18 million natives.
