Establishment of Roads General Authority in Saudi Arabia marks qualitative shift: Official

Deputy Minister of Transport, Bader Al Dulami

The Saudi Cabinet’s approval for setting up the Roads General Authority (RGA) will contribute to achieving a qualitative shift in the Kingdom's road system, making it more developed and prosperous, Deputy Minister of Transport, Bader Al Dulami.  

The new authority will develop controls and rules to support investment activities and value-added services for roads, including support services, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing Al Dulami.

The RGA will have a role in setting conditions, standards, controls and specifications for the construction and maintenance of all roads within and outside the urban areas.

It will also set safety and environmental standards related to all roads, in coordination with other relevant authorities. In addition, the authority will follow up on the implementation of such projects and grant licenses and permits for the road sector.

He pointed out that establishing the authority will strengthen the role of the ministry as a guide and supervisor of all branches of the transport and logistics sector.

The authority will contribute to the unification of the legislator of the road sector, where it will develop general policies related to all roads in the Kingdom.

In addition, the RGA will conduct the process of technically investigating accidents resulting from construction and maintenance of roads, as well as undergo studies and research related to the development of the sector.

The step comes in line with the initiatives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to strengthen the governance of the sector by separating legislation from operation, and boosting the competitive position of road construction, operation and maintenance, the deputy minister added.

The transport sector is going through a phase of historic reforms through implementing a package of decisions that will benefit the country and its citizens.

This includes establishing the General Roads Authority, which came to contribute to raising the level of roads’ safety and quality, and placing the Kingdom in sixth place on the road quality index, while maintaining its leadership globally in the interdependence of road networks.

On August 2, Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, approved the establishment of the General Roads Authority, according to data compiled by Argaam.