JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia opened more than 900 km of new roads during the first half of 2026, with the General Authority for Roads launching 40 projects across the Kingdom to improve connectivity, enhance road safety and support economic growth under Vision 2030.
The projects, located in Makkah, Madinah, Asir, the Eastern Province and Qassim, are designed to strengthen links between cities and regions, reduce travel times, and support tourism, logistics and commerce, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.
The authority also reported that more than 3.7 million truck journeys were recorded on the Kingdom’s logistics corridors during the first six months of the year, underscoring the road network’s role in facilitating trade, supply chains, and links between ports, border crossings and economic centers.
The authority also issued more than 32,000 permits for services across the national road network as part of efforts to streamline procedures and improve service delivery.
The first half of the year also saw the launch of a Control and Rapid Response Center and a Smart Control Center for road operations and maintenance. The facilities use advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to monitor the road network, improve maintenance efficiency and speed emergency response.
