Qatar and Saudi Arabia's road investment

Roads in Qatar

Both Qatar and Saudi Arabia are set to invest billions into upgrading their road networks. Qatar, in particular, is said to have put aside US$20 billion in order to proceed with infrastructure projects over the next five years. Saudi Arabia on the other hand is planning an underpass project in order to relieve traffic congestion in Al-Khobar.

The US$50 million project has been conceived to connect King Abdullah Highway in Dhahran to Makkah Road. The project is expected to take 18 months to complete, no doubt causing problems for thousands of motorists on an already congested strip of road.

The new underpass will hopefully allow traffic to flow more easily on the highway, which is the main connecting road from Al-Khobar leading to King Fahd International Airport, Saudi Aramco, King Fahd University for Petroleum and Minerals, King Faisal University, first and second industrial cities and various schools and shopping malls.

Road to Qatar

Qatar's road projects are much more extensive with the Public Works Authority announcing that they will award five contracts worth US$10 billion over the next three months. Currently, only 10-15 percent of the US$20 billion put aside for roadworks has been used.

Speaking to Emirates Business, Jamal Al Kaabi, Acting Manager of Ashghal Design Department, said, "While US$12 billion is earmarked for road and infrastructure like electrical wiring, water, rail, roads, street lighting and road furniture, US$8 billion is for drainage."

"But we won't stop here. There is still the Doha big crossing, the outer rings and the sub-sea tunnel between the capital's new airport and our new financial centre to be built. These are under study."

Among the proposed projects are the 11km Lusail Street project, Dukhan, the Shahaniya-Rayyan roundabouts route, which is a major highway and the F ring road project, which will link the New Doha International Airport (NDIA), alongwith the East-West Corridor.

None of the tenders include the 12-kilometre sub-sea tunnel, which is slated to cost more than US$1 billion.

It is a bold move on Qatar's part, as more than 80 percent of projects in the emirate have been delayed due to contractors' failure to finish on time as well as the lack of coordination between utility providers.

Relevant articles:

Work begins on Qatar's epic rail project | Qatar's $1bn 'subsea' tunnel | Qatar's multi-billion-dollar hospital project

Timon Singh

Timon Singh is a graduate of Liverpool University where he received a degree in Social and Economic History. He has previously worked for BBC Magazines on BBC Who Do You Think You Are? Magazine, the publication for the popular genealogy show.

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