Road Terminology Dictionary: A comprehensive engineering and linguistic reference with 400 terms

In a move reflecting the integration of government sectors to serve the Arabic language and specialized fields, the General Authority for Roads its cultural and scientific presence by launching the “ Dictionary of Road Terms ,” in strategic cooperation with the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language . This announcement coincided with the celebration of World Arabic Language Day, which falls on December 18th, affirming that the Arabic language is capable of absorbing the latest engineering and technological advancements.

Context of the initiative and its linguistic significance

This dictionary is not merely a list of terms; it is part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to Arabize science and localize knowledge. Researchers and engineers have long faced challenges in translating precise technical terminology related to the roads and transportation sector, as variations in translation can sometimes lead to ambiguity in contracts or technical specifications. This is where the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language in standardizing these terms linguistically, while the Roads Authority ensures their technical and engineering accuracy, resulting in a reliable reference that combines scientific precision with linguistic integrity.

The contents and comprehensiveness of the dictionary

The authority explained that the new glossary includes more than 400 specialized terms , covering all aspects of the road lifecycle. This includes terms related to planning and engineering design, construction and paving materials, modern maintenance techniques, traffic safety standards, and signage. The glossary is designed to be digital and easily accessible, allowing users to navigate between terms smoothly and easily, thus keeping pace with the digital transformation taking place across all sectors of the country.

Expected impact on the roads sector and scientific research

This achievement is of paramount importance at both the local and regional levels, as it is expected to contribute to:

• Standardizing technical language: Eliminating duplication in the use of terminology among engineers, contractors, and consultants, thereby improving the quality of project implementation.
• Supporting scientific research: Providing solid reference material for students and researchers in Saudi and Arab universities, which facilitates the preparation of studies and research papers in sound Arabic.
• Enhancing safety: Precise terminology means precision in specifications and implementation, which positively impacts the quality of roads and the safety of their users, thus achieving one of the most important objectives of the roads sector strategy.

This effort is in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics hub, where road infrastructure is a key pillar in this direction, and unifying its language and terminology is a necessary step to ensure professionalism and global quality.