$74bn facelift for Riyadh planned

A major project to overhaul the roads and facilities of Riyadh, providing a face-lift to the Saudi capital, has been approved by the Riyadh Development Authority (RDA). As many as 3,088 development projects worth SR278 billion ($74.11 billion) are being implemented in different parts of the Riyadh region, an official was quoted as saying by an Arab News report. The project will provide wide, open areas in the city centre and building a ring road around them, it said. The project will provide a facelift to downtown Riyadh and make it an outstanding historic, administrative, economic and cultural centre in the kingdom, Ibrahim Al-Sultan, a member of the RDA and head of its centre for projects and planning, was quoted as saying by the report. The plan includes development of housing projects in the city centre and pedestrian pathways that would enhance the look of the city and make it more comfortable for citizens and residents, he said. “The central region will have three main railway lines and several bus routes,” he said. It will also house the main railway station, which will be part of the city’s public transport system. He said 3,088 development projects worth SR278 billion are being implemented in different parts of the Riyadh region. Sixty-two agencies have been authorized to follow up on the implementation of these projects. The RDA also discussed preparations to implement the city's public transport project. Four international consortia are competing to build a metro network in Riyadh. The RDA indicated that it might award the contract to more than one consortium considering the project’s huge size, the Arab News report said. tradearabia