RIYADH: Riyadh Metro is an impressive project, which will change the lifestyle of the people in the city, said EU Commissioner Violetta Bulc.
Bulc’s comments followed her tour of the ongoing SR85 billion ($22.5 billion) project in Riyadh.
She earlier inaugurated the second EU-GCC Business Forum, PPP and Infrastructure Investment Opportunities in the GCC in Riyadh.
“The deadlines are very demanding, but so far they’re following the deadlines well,” she told the media on the sidelines of the forum.
“As far as I could tell ... it’s moving well,” she said.
Describing the metro as the largest investment project in the field of transport in Saudi Arabia, Bulc said that she was happy to note that those involved in the project are using state-of-the art equipment and services for the convenience of commuters.
Bulc said she understood the completion date to be 2019, and described the metro as “the biggest global project in urban mobility.”
The metro, the biggest infrastructure project in the history of Riyadh, is an urban rail and bus system, and the project is on track, Pietro Bagnati, project director for the Italian construction group Salini Impregilo, separately told AFP.
“The project is going on satisfactorily. It is a priority project for the government,” Bagnati said on the sidelines of the forum.
His firm leads the ArRiyadh New Mobility consortium, one of three foreign groups building the six-line Metro project planned to cover 179km of the sprawling city.
The underground and elevated rail network is to be supported by a bus system.
New Mobility’s portion of the project — the Line 3 railway — covers 42 kilometers.
During her opening address at the press briefing, the EU commissioner said that the purpose of her mission is to focus on a new investment plan with Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries, which took 18 months of preparation by the EU.
The commissioner addressed the media following a meeting with EU ambassadors in Riyadh.
Commending Saudi Vision 2030, she said it is an integrated action plan, which covers the implementation of a vast range of projects with the participation of local businessmen.
Bulc also said that she was touched by the hospitality of the people, who were cooperating with free and frank discussions.
Her talks with government officials focused on transport — railways and aviation — and digitization of these projects.
She added that other areas, including research and innovation in transport projects and urban mobility, crowd congestion and pollution, were also taken up during the talks.
In the field of aviation, she said it was agreed to sign trade agreements between the two parties.
Bulc said she had the opportunity of meeting a group of local women and praised the tremendous improvements in their lifestyle.
Bulc said that the literacy rate among women has greatly improved and she was happy to see a large number of women graduates completing their respective degrees at local and foreign universities.
Riyadh Metro will reshape Saudi capital, says EU commissioner
Riyadh Metro will reshape Saudi capital, says EU commissioner
Experimental farm in Al-Lith looks into future of Saudi Arabian agriculture
- Research initiative reflects strategic transformation
JEDDAH: An experimental farm in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Lith Governorate is one of the research initiatives reflecting the strategic transformation taking place in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector.
The farm uses highly efficient, sustainable production models that combine scientific research with commercial application, contributing to strengthening the country’s food security system and the sustainability of water resources.
Located in the Ghumaiqa Center on an area of about 10 hectares, the cutting-edge farm is a testing platform for modern agricultural technologies that tackle the challenge of water scarcity.
The farm includes developed open fields and modern greenhouses, supported by smart irrigation encompassing drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside surface and subsurface technologies.
All the systems operate via smart controls that enable the monitoring of water consumption and ensure improved efficiency, thereby achieving a balance between agricultural production and water conservation.
The farm also uses treated and diluted low-salinity seawater.
It aims to diversify agricultural water sources, reduce reliance on freshwater, and open new horizons for agriculture in coastal and semi-arid environments.
The project represents a promising investment opportunity in the field of smart agriculture, enabling the development of commercially scalable production models, particularly for high-value vegetables and fruits, while reducing operational costs associated with water and energy, enhancing the economic feasibility of future agricultural projects.
In addition, the project contributes to transferring and localizing agricultural expertise, supporting local food supply chains, and creating an attractive environment for agricultural investment.
This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and enhances the efficiency of the private sector in adopting innovative agricultural solutions.
Yahya bin Abdulrahman Al-Mahabi, the director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Al-Lith Governorate, told the Saudi Press Agency that the project represented the future of agriculture in the Kingdom.
He explained that the vision was based on investing in technology, enhancing the return on water per unit, and integrating scientific research with investment opportunities.
Al-Mahabi spoke of the experimental farm as a modern, scalable and replicable model applicable in several regions of the Kingdom, particularly in coastal environments.
Al-Mahabi highlighted the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s commitment to supporting distinctive projects that contributed to achieving food security while developing rural areas and enhancing agricultural production efficiency, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
