Inauguration of 10 road projects in Mecca at a cost of 553 million riyals
His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region, inaugurated a major package comprising 10 of the most important road projects in Makkah, at a total cost of 553 million Saudi riyals. These vital projects cover a total length of 109 kilometers. This announcement was made during a meeting chaired by His Highness, in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Roads, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, and a number of leaders in the transport and logistics sector.
The newly inaugurated projects included the 21-km Al-Sail Al-Kabeer road linking Riyadh to the Riyadh highway, at a cost of 138 million riyals, and the 56-km dual carriageway connecting Hadn and Turba, at a cost of 87 million riyals. Additionally, the 22-km dual carriageway connecting Bisha, Ranya, and Al-Khurma to the Riyadh-Taif Expressway, at a cost of 79 million riyals, and the 9-km dual carriageway connecting Al-Makhwah and Al-Majardah, at a cost of 75 million riyals, were also inaugurated. The package also included addressing damage to sections of roads leading to the Holy Sites, Makkah, Taif, Al-Baha, and the Taif Ring Road.
History and development of road projects in Mecca
Historically, Mecca has received significant attention from the Saudi leadership since the unification of the Kingdom, with road infrastructure serving as the vital artery connecting the Holy City to the rest of the Kingdom and the world. In recent decades, transportation networks have undergone rapid development to accommodate the increasing numbers of pilgrims. Today's road projects in Mecca are a natural extension of this historical legacy, aiming to transform traditional roads into smart and sustainable routes that adhere to the latest international standards and the Saudi Road Code. This will facilitate easy and safe access to the Grand Mosque and the Holy Sites, and will support the region's road network, which exceeds 8,623 kilometers in length.
Strategic dimensions for enhancing regional mobility
The impact of these projects extends far beyond the local level, encompassing significant regional and international dimensions. Locally, this network helps alleviate traffic congestion and reduce travel times between provinces. Regionally and internationally, this infrastructure development strengthens the Kingdom's position as a global logistics hub connecting three continents, directly aligning with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030. Providing advanced transportation services for pilgrims arriving from all corners of the earth reflects the Kingdom's distinguished image in crowd management and ensuring the utmost comfort and safety.
A campaign featuring distinctive, safe roads and artificial intelligence technologies
In a related development, His Highness the Deputy Governor of the region launched the “Distinguished and Safe Roads” campaign during the meeting. This campaign aims to conduct a comprehensive survey and evaluation of road networks outside urban areas, identifying and addressing issues in collaboration with government agencies and the community. His Highness received a detailed briefing on the campaign, which targets road networks exceeding 8,600 km in length and is being implemented using the world’s largest fleet of survey and evaluation equipment, supported by artificial intelligence, drones, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This technological approach effectively contributes to improving road efficiency and enhancing safety levels and infrastructure quality.
It is worth noting that previous iterations of the campaign have contributed to identifying and addressing over 100,000 observations across the Kingdom. Furthermore, the associated projects and initiatives have played a pivotal role in reducing traffic fatalities by approximately 60%, contributing to Saudi Arabia's advancement to fourth place among G20 countries in the road quality index, reflecting the significant achievements and ongoing development in the transportation sector.
