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Transportation & Communication Related
Information
     

At the time of the establishment of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, the country lacked modern transportation facilities and ports, and had less than 30 miles of paved roads.

Today, the Kingdom has a modern transportation network of roads, railroads, air, marine and public transport.  The country is also linked by a sophisticated communications network that serves as a basis for its economic growth and development.

These accomplishments are all the more remarkable due to the great distances between cities and the rugged terrain of much of the country.

   

 

Establishing a modern network

For thousands of years, merchants, pilgrims and Bedouins have been traveling the ancient trade and caravan routes of the Arabian Peninsula. Journeying through such a vast desert region was extremely difficult and risky, often taking a month or more of arduous travel to cross the peninsula. Passage through the vast deserts was only possible during the cooler hours of the day and less harsh seasons of the year.


The swift movement of both people and freight was vital to modernizing such a large and sparsely-populated country. To that end, a number of the five-year development plans focused on improving the Kingdom’s transportation infrastructure, and Saudi Arabia now possesses one of the finest national transportation networks in the world.

 

 

Related Information: Transportation & Communication

RecentNews:
 
05/08/2008   Kingdom to build major dockyard at the Islamic Port of Jeddah
04/03/2008   Saudi Arabia to implement a new transportation policy
03/20/2008   Saudi telecom companies award contracts worth $500 million to Motorola
02/20/2008   King Abdullah orders financing for Makkah-Madinah rail link


Other Documents:


Roads and Railroads
Beginning with the First Development Plan (1970-74), the country established its comprehensive road network in less than two decades, at a cost of more than 34 billion U.S. dollars.
Public Transportation
The Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) is responsible for operating the country's inter-city and intra-city bus service.
Air Travel
During its development into a modern nation, Saudi Arabia has relied heavily upon air transport to surmount its vast distances. The Kingdom established its national airline, Saudia, in 1945 with a modest fleet of three DC-3s.
  
Marine Transprtation
Saudi Arabia has taken advantage of its extensive coastline for the nation's industrial development. The Kingdom has enlarged and modernized its 21 ports considerably in recent years, particularly the five major ones located at Jeddah, Dammam, Yanbu, Jizan and Jubail.
  
Communications
In keeping with his determination to build a modern state, King Abdulaziz had wireless telegraph stations set up in Makkah, Taif, Jeddah and Riyadh in the early 1930s.
  




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