Saudi Arabia
2.3 Saudi Arabia Road Network
Home

Overview

Saudi Arabia has large road networks covering more than 200,000 kilometers, including 66,000 kilometers of roadways connecting major cities and providing access to railways, ports and airports. This growing ground network benefits from 5,000 kilometers of highways and bridges, providing extensive means to transport passengers and goods.

Under the current development plan, Saudi Arabia has allocated a substantial sum to the creation and renovation of the Kingdom’s roadways, particularly its heavily used inner-city roads, intersections and bridges. Plans are scheduled to build more than 3,500 kilometers of new roads, including 284 highways set to link the country’s main urban centers. Ambitious plans include the design and construction of Obhur Creek Bridge, located 20 kilometers from Jeddah, which would incorporate eight lanes of road traffic, footpaths and two lanes of rail transit. KSA road projects are beginning and include an additional 2,200 kilometers of road construction planned for the next development phase beginning in 2020. Land freight transportation is forecast to rise due to increasing industrial activity and the expansion of e-commerce throughout the region.

The Transport Ministry is planning to implement 23 road safety projects, with investments totaling around $586.67 million. Fifteen plans will be carried out over the next three years to upgrade intersections and junctions, improve street lighting around dangerous intersections, enhance safety facilities at animal crossings, and install protective barriers for lampposts on some roads.

For more information about government contacts, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Distance Matrix

Distances from Capital City to Major Towns (km)


Riyadh

Jeddah

Dammam

Al Khobar

Taif

Tabuk

Riyadh


950

400

425

783

21

Jeddah

950


1360

1375

170

940

Dammam 

400

1360


39

1192

425

Al Khobar 

425

1375

39


1208

440

Taif

783

170

1192

1208


775

Tabuk

21

940

425

440

775


Travel Time from Capital City to Major Towns (hours)


Riyadh

Jeddah

Dammam

Al Khobar

Taif

Tabuk

Riyadh


9:30

4:00

4:15

7:15

00:30

Jeddah

9:30


13:30

13:40

2:15

9:30

Dammam

4:00

13:30


25

11:15

4:15

Al Khobar

4:15

13:40

25


11:20

4:30

Taif

7:15

2:15

11:15

11:20


7:15

Tabuk

00:30

9:30

4:15

4:30

7:15


Road Security

The Ministry of Transport pays a great attention to safety on roads. The best technical standards are adopted during the studying and designing of roads that insure implementing those roads using the best modern materials and equipment's that meet safety and security conditions. Beside the appropriate design of roads, other safety factors including various instructive and directive signs, paints, reflective signs, means of drainage, various protectors and fences are provided. In addition, existing roads are being monitored and safety factors are being improved at once. The Ministry also participates with the interested authorities in different committees regarding traffic safety on roads. 

Safety means on roads:

Roads are provided with all safety factors to ensure safety and security of their users, the means that the ministry implements are:

  • ​Road shoulders paving and fix their sides. 
  • Widening the bridges, equal to the road and its shoulders.
  • Building side parking. 
  • Painting the middle and the sides of roads and providing them with reflector marks (cat's eye).
  • Providing roads with protection fences, informational sings, and direction sings, warning and guiding signs.
  • Fencing all highways to prevent loose camels from crossing the road, building crossing points on roads to facilitate the crossing of these animals and put traps on all the sub-exits on the highways.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

Axle Load Limits

KSA

Iraq

Jordan

Truck with 2 Axles

15 MT

15 MT

12 MT

Truck with 3 Axles

21 MT

25 MT

18 MT

Truck with 4 Axles

37 MT

30 MT

22 MT

Semi-trailer with 3 Axles

21 MT

25 MT

21 MT

Semi-trailer with 4 Axles

37 MT

34 MT

26 MT

Semi-trailer with 5 Axles

45 MT

35 MT

28 MT

Semi-trailer with 6 Axles

45 MT

35 MT

32 MT

Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 4 Axles

37 MT

30 MT

28 MT

Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 5 Axles

45 MT

35 MT

32 MT

Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 6 Axles

45 MT

38 MT

32 MT

Truck & Drawbar Trailer with 7 Axles

45 MT

38 MT

40 MT

Jump to top