By Neha Bhatia www.constructionweekonline.com
Public transport projects are proceeding as scheduled in Saudi Arabia, and companies will be penalised for any delays to the same, the Kingdom’s minister of transport said.
Abdullah al-Muqbil said there will be no sizeable cutbacks to transport projects, which the Kingdom views as being critical to economic diversification away from energy dependence, and job creation.
According to local daily al-Jazirah, Muqbil said the government has allocated $53.3bn (SAR200bn) for public transport plans in cities with high population densities; however, no time frame has been specified for this spending.
“Whether it is public transport projects or trains, the schedule of execution has been set by the Council of Ministers.
“Each project has a specific schedule and its execution is within an identified time frame with no delay,” Muqbil said. More info