JEDDAH: The transport sector in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be growing by 6 to 10 percent annually, driven by aggressive construction of new roads, railways and integrated community development projects across the Kingdom. Development of transport infrastructure for religious pilgrims has also been growing at an accelerated pace, expanding by 10 to 15 percent annually as Saudi Arabia continues to accommodate a growing number of religious tourists each year. For 2010 alone, a total of 6,400 kilometers of new roads have been included in Saudi Arabia's transport budget, while other high-profile projects underway in the country include the $3 billion Riyadh Light Railway, $5.6 billion worth of public transport projects under the Jeddah Strategic Development Plan and the 440-kilometer Haramain High Speed Rail being built in Mecca, Medina, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City. In light of the massive transport development initiatives undertaken all over the country, the Saudi Arabia Urban Transport Conference 2011, the only dedicated business-to-business networking event for all stakeholders of Saudi's transportation sector, has been organized by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Municipalities & Rural Affairs and International Quality & Productivity Centre (IQPC), to provide a dedicated platform for government authorities, along with local and international consultants, contractors and service providers, to discuss the most suitable transport solutions that will support Saudi's long-term transport development agenda. The event has been rescheduled to run Feb.19 - 22 at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel. Jamie Dowswell, conference director, International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC), organizers of the conference, said: "The Saudi Arabia Urban Transport Conference 2011 is an important complementary platform that supports the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia's transport sector. The conference will gather some of the most important personalities in the transport industry to discuss the latest challenges and the most up-to-date transport solutions that are fully capable of addressing Saudi Arabia's rapidly growing transport requirements. The impressive line-up of speakers and participants from both the public and private sector reflects the significance of the conference in helping drive the country's transport development initiatives." The conference, which is sponsored by Cisco, Serco, Parsons, ACS A Xerox Company, Dellner and Auto Grade, will discuss key transport issues that include best practices in urban transportation planning, major transportation projects underway in Saudi Arabia, planning and infrastructure strategies of the development authorities, implementation of appropriate technology for road, rail and metro projects, and integration of new projects with existing transportation infrastructure. The diverse range of services and solutions to be showcased at the event will cover areas related to ITS, parking systems, speed cameras, RFID, road construction and improvement, road barriers and safety features, pavement laying, light rail procurement, rolling stock, electrification, telecommunications, station build, ticketing systems, bus rapid transit technology, smart card technology, LED signage and transportation consulting among others.
