Work is underway to introduce new scheme for Riyadh next year: Mayor

Mayor of Riyadh Region, Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf

Prince Faisal bin Ayyaf, Mayor of Riyadh Region, said that work is underway on a new plan for the city of Riyadh, expecting it to be unveiled by the end of this year or next year. 

Riyadh is witnessing a qualitative leap, with mega projects that will change the landscape of the city, Prince Ayyaf said in an interview with Rotana Khalejia.

The city’s landmarks, its ambition and the changing circumstances made the previous plan unviable, he said. Therefore, work began on a new plan for the city that determines the growth model in the coming years.

The new scheme favors vertical growth over horizontal expansion. The number of buildings will increase, with the addition of a modern transportation network with a large number of centers to avoid overcrowding.

The new plan is in line with its current expansion and includes directives to develop all major roads by about 400 kilometers. This will change the transport system and reduce traffic congestion.

The Mayor pointed out that the Riyadh Metro project consists of two parts: bus lines, which will be operational within weeks, and the metro, which will be completed before year-end or during 2024. He also indicated that the metro is considered the largest infrastructure project to be implemented in one phase in an existing city. 

The project will contribute to solving traffic congestion, by providing a transport alternative that can also reduce travel time by half.

Meanwhile, the general parking scheme, the first phase of which was launched weeks ago, will contribute significantly to solving the problem of traffic congestion. It focuses on the pivotal areas, which include the largest number of overlaps, the Mayor said, adding that the plan will be implemented during the next two years. 

He added that the quality of roads in Riyadh reached 55%, whereas a project was designed to move Riyadh to 75% in road quality during the next three to four years. The Crown Prince approved a support of SAR 4 billion for the development project, he said.