Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has provided, through its transport system, multiple means of transportation for pilgrims coming to Makkah by air, land, and sea. It expanded and created new ports and airports, provided trains and paved roads, and paid great attention to each of these means to ensure the safety of pilgrims. The Kingdom has harnessed all technical and human capabilities to achieve the goal of a safe and easy journey for pilgrims.
The Kingdom is characterized by its vast area that connects it to eight neighboring countries, so the General Authority for Roads was keen to pay more attention to the roads that connect pilgrims to the holy sites with modern and advanced designs.
The General Authority for Roads has provided 10 main roads that can be used by pilgrims from neighboring countries. In the east, pilgrims from the State of Kuwait can use two roads, the first “Khafji – Nairyah – Riyadh – Makkah” with a length of 1,473 kilometers, and the second “Riggae – Hafr Al-Batin – Majmaah – Makkah
” with a length of 1,277 kilometers. Pilgrims from the United Arab Emirates can use the road “Batha – Salwa – Hofuf – Riyadh – Taif – Makkah,’ which is 1,514 kilometers long, while pilgrims from the State of Qatar can use the road “Salwa – Hofuf – Riyadh – Taif – Makkah,” with a length of 1,385 km. Pilgrims from the Kingdom of Bahrain can use the King Fahd Causeway, which connects them to Khobar, then to Riyadh and then heading to Makkah through Taif. The total distance of the roads is estimated at 1,320 km.
In the north, pilgrims of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan can take two roads to reach Makkah: the first starts from Halat Ammar road, then Tabuk, then Al-Madinah to Makkah, with a length of 1,219 km. The second road starts from Haditha, Qurayyat, then Sakakah, and then Makkah, passing through Al-Madinah; the total distance of the roads is estimated at 1,545 km. Pilgrims from the Republic of Iraq can take the road “Jdeidet Arar – Arar – Sakakah – Al-Madinah – Makkah,” with a length of 1,579 km.
In the so
uth, pilgrims of the Republic of Yemen can take the road “Al-Wadiah – Najran – Abha – Makkah,” with a length of 1,372 km, while pilgrims of the Sultanate of Oman can use the Empty Quarter road “Umm al Zamul – Al-Batha – Salwa – Hofuf – Makkah,” with a length of 2,150 km.
The General Authority for Roads began from an early date to prepare for this year’s Hajj season by surveying the road network leading to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah and ensuring that all safety and quality standards are applied to it. The authority implements the process of scraping and re-asphalting in several sites, trimming road shoulders, and removing sand dunes. Additionally, the work includes cleaning valley streams to ensure the safety of concrete and metal barriers, and maintaining warning signs. These efforts have contributed to providing a road network with a high level of safety and quality.
Source: Saudi Press Agency