NewSaudiOmanhighwaytoreduce

distanceby800km

AviewofthefinishedSaudiOmanhighwaythatcutsacrosstheRub'alKhalidesertisshowninthisstillimagetaken
fromavideopostedonYouTubebyFamcoSaudiArabia.(Courtesyphoto)

GHAZANFARALIKHAN
PublishedThursday8October2015

Lastupdate8October20153:59am

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RIYADH:SaudiArabiaandOmanhavecompletedthe
constructionofamegaroadprojectlinkingthetwocountries.
Thenewroad,whichwillcutthedistancebetweenSaudiArabia
andOmanbyabout800km,willbeopenedsoonforpublic,said
AhmadHilalAlBusaidi,Omaniambassador,Wednesday.
AlBusaidisaidthetwocountrieswerecurrentlybuildingthe
administrativeinfrastructuresincludingimmigrationpostsand
checkpointsacrossthetwoendsoftheroad.Thishasdelayed
theinaugurationoftheroadproject,saidthediplomat,adding
thatthiswillbefirstoverlanddirectlinkbetweenthetwo
countries.

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OmanandSaudiArabiaarecurrentlylinkedviaroadthroughthe
UAE,spanningatotaldistanceof2,000km.Hesaidthat
travelersshuttlingbetweenSaudiArabiaandOmanwouldno
longerneedtocrosstheUAE.

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TheKingdomhasspentaboutSR1.6billiononthemotorwaythat KeepingHajissafe:Unfit
passesthroughtheeasternSaudiprovinceofAlAhsaandthe
foodstuffseized
Rub'alKhalidesert(EmptyQuarter)endingatOmanborder.
Houthi,Salehfactions
TheroadinsideOmanisaround160kmlong,startingfrom
differoverGenevatalks
agenda
TanaminIbriprovince,passingthroughoilfieldsuntilitreaches
theOmanSaudiborderintheEmptyQuarter.
More
TheroadhasadirectaccesstosouthOman,saidthe
diplomat.
InsideSaudiArabia,theroadis519kmlong,includinga247kmstretchfromtheOmani
bordertoShaybahandthe319kmstretchfromShaybahtotheBathaHaradhroad,
whichleadstoAlKharjandthentoRiyadh.
AlRosanContracting,whichhadbeencommissionedtobuild256kmoftheroadonthe
Saudiside,saidtheprojecthadbeenabigchallengebecausetheroadisconstructed
throughshiftingsandsacrosstheRubalKhaliDesert,thelargestandmostbarren
sanddesertintheworldcovering600,000squarekilometers.
Tryingtobuildaroadonshiftingsandduneswasalwaysgoingtobedifficult.Theproject
involvedbuildingsandbridgesacrosssaltflatsandhighrisingdunes,sotheselectionof
adaptableandreliableequipmentwascriticalforthisproject,notleastbecauseofthe
aggressiveenvironment,intenseheat,sandandremotenessofthesite,anAlRosan
managerwasquotedassayinginastatementbyVolvoce.com.
ThestatementsaidFAMCO(AlFuttaimAuto&MachineryCo.LLC)istheequipment
contractingpartnerofAlRosanintheprojectandithasused95Volvomachines,
includingarangeofarticulatedhaulers,excavatorsandmotorgraders,throughthe
severalstagesoftheproject.
Theconstructionofthe256kmroadwascompletedinsectionsandinvolvedgigantic
amountsofsandcutandfill.Thesandtransportedtoconstructthebridgewas130
millionm3theequivalentof26giantpyramidsand12millionm3ofmaterialwas
neededtoprotecttheembankmentofsandfromwindandwater,itsaid.
Spellingoutthefeaturesofthisproject,AlBusaidisaid:Theopeningoftheroadwill
createtradeandinvestmentopportunitiesbesidesboostingtourismbetweenthetwo

countries.
Thisnewroadprojectwill
alsohelpvehicles
includingtrailersladen
withgoodstoreachfast
totheirdestinationsinthe
KingdomorinOman,he
added.
HesaidthatOman,being
aGCCmember,seeks
topromoterelationswith
theKingdominall
sectors.ThenewprojectwillhelptheKingdomtobewellconnectedwiththestrategic
citiesandtownsinOman,whichalsosharesborderswiththeUAEandYemenaswell
asmarineborderswithIranandPakistan.