Transport in Saudi Arabia


With the arrival of petrodollars, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has initiated many mega infrastructure development projects in the country, and the extensive development of the transportation network has followed suit in support of various economic developments. As a result, the country now boasts an extensive transportation network.

Road transportation

Total:
Paved:
Unpaved:
Roads in Saudi Arabia vary from eight-laned roads to small two-lane roads in rural areas. The city highways and other major highways are well maintained, especially the roads in the capital Riyadh. The roads have been constructed to resist the consistently high temperatures and do not reflect the strong sunshine. The other city highways such as the one linking coast to coast are not as great as the inner-city highways but the government is now working on rebuilding those roads. In October 2013, a group of auto enthusiasts drove some through Saudi Arabia in search of the best driving road, and named the Jeddah-Taif-Al-Hada highway as "motoring nirvana".
Saudi Arabia had encouraged road transport in the past as had it maintained one of the lowest petrol prices in the world, at $0.13 per litre. In 2018, this price was raised to about $0.54 per litre, which is still not that high global-wise but definitely the highest it had ever been in the oil producing kingdom. It is worth noting that due to limited alternative passenger transport options in the country, the gasoline fuel demand is relatively inelastic to its prices; light-duty vehicles dominate the passenger transport landscape. Buses and other public transport options are limited, and walking or bicycles are hindered by the sprawling city landscapes and harsh weather in most regions of the country.
Some of the important inter-city highways include the following:
On 19 February 2018, it was announced that four of the main Saudi motorways that allow for high speed will grant a speed limit increase to users from 120 kmph to 140 kmph. Those motorways are,, and finally.

Sea transportation

Saudi Arabia has a well development sea transport network developed primarily to support the transport of petrochemicals. Saudi Ports Authority is the ports management organization in the country, overseeing the operations. The largest seaport in Saudi Arabia located on the Red Sea. This port makes 80% of maritime flow.
The major ports in the country are as follows;

[Persian Gulf]

There are an estimated 203 airports in Saudi Arabia.

Airports with paved runways

total:
61
over 3,047 m:
32
2,438 to 3,047 m:
13
1,524 to 2,437 m:
12
914 to 1,523 m:
under 914 m:
2

Airports with unpaved runways

total:
133
over 3,047 m:
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,524 to 2,437 m:
75
914 to 1,523 m:
38
under 914 m:
14

Heliports

9

Commercial Helicopter

In 2019, the Saudi Public Investment Fund launched the first commercial helicopter that will serve to transport customers within the major Saudi cities and to take them to different tourism destinations.

Rail transport

Although the long-abandoned Hejaz railway had been built during the Ottoman occupation, the first railway to be built in modern Saudi Arabia was the Riyadh-Dammam railway. It was launched by King Abdulaziz in 1951. In 2018, the railway transported 1.8 million passengers and 700,000 goods. Currently, the railway is planned to undergo further development.
As a result of over-reliance on road and air travel, rail transport has not received a similar level of investment in Saudi Arabia. However, there are now plans for expansion within the kingdom's railway infrastructure. The length of the new railway is 1,500 km. Some of these plans are: