How can we justify the huge potential expenditure to be dedicated to the expansion of our public transportation system? Given that the need for it does not seem to be immediately apparent, can we justify spending a total of SR 200 billion on metro systems for Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah and beyond? After all, though we hope that it will eventually pay for itself, it could be years before that actually happens. In the meantime, wouldn’t we be better off spending our money elsewhere such as upgrading and fixing our roads?
On one level, I am sure this same debate goes on worldwide. Should transportation expenditures concentrate on making driving easier for drivers, or providing other options for those who might be wiling to leave their cars at home? Sometimes the question is an environmental one. The fact that personal cars is synonymous with transportation may not be doing us any collective favors, particularly in the future if concerns about climate change manifests into reality. Then again, that’s also controversial, and it is almost certain that the convenience and comfort of individual vehicles will make them ubiquitous for many years to come, even if that means that car designs have to change and concentrate on hybrids or even electric cars. So, from my point of view, the strongest reason for investing the money in our metro system now is not environmental — but it is equally urgent.
The key new concept we should be thinking about is technology transfer. Think of technological development as a global conversation; new ideas spring up in one place, are implemented and improved upon in another, further adapted in a third — and so on. We in Saudi Arabia need to be part of this conversation.
That’s not to say we have to jump aboard every new trend, but it would greatly benefit us to be part of the process. Our engineers can make global connections and their own innovations. The global exchange of ideas, techniques and applications is what pushes technology forward nowadays. It does not and cannot happen in a vacuum.
Clearly, planning, designing and building the metro will provide work for our engineers, as well as a chance for them to hone and improve their skills, adding to the capacity of knowledge and ability in our country. The same goes for the hundreds of people that the projects will employ. Through academic study I have learned one thing — a country’s capacity for industry and its level of homegrown expertise is the single most important predictor of economic resilience. Countries that have developed their industry to capacity — who have, in fact, pushed the envelope on technical innovation — are more able to withstand market fluctuations, recessions, and even natural disasters.
It is therefore a matter of some importance and even urgency that we take this opportunity to expand our metro system, and to be part of the global dialogue that is going on with regard to transportation systems for the future. And of course, there will be local benefits too — a safe, clean, efficient metro system enhances any community by providing people with an excellent way to travel.
In conclusion, there are many strong reasons for investing this amount of money in the metro system. Simply stated, it’s an investment in our present and our future. It encourages economic activity and societal involvement. So let’s seize the opportunity.
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