The new railway station under construction

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) has signed a contract to develop the initial phase of a road that will connect the Haramain inner-city railway station with the Business Park at Bay La Sun district and KAEC residential communities.

The SR15 million ($4 million) contract was signed with Saud Barik Al-Subhi & Partners.

The road will enhance access to the city via the Jeddah-Yanbu highway. The initial phase of the project is expected to finish by the end of 2015, while the expected overall total cost of the project is around SR235 million.

Fahd Al-Rasheed, managing director and chief executive officer of KAEC, said: “The new road is of great importance since it will be a primary entrance to the city. It is adjacent to the Haramain train station and will pass Hijaz Gate, which is the new downtown area in KAEC. The road will also give residents and visitors more flexibility in entering and leaving the city and reduce the travel time to the Business Park and residential communities by 8-10 minutes. We have already started implementing the project on the ground and it will be completed during December 2015.”

Hijaz Gate will serve as the economic centre of the city with its various malls, shops, boutiques, restaurants and hotels making it a stopping point for millions of visitors annually. It is also a natural destination for conferences and exhibitions, corporate headquarters, colleges, vocational places of learning and specialised medical centres which will occupy this  area, a statement said.

Adding to the attraction, travellers on the new Hijaz Gate road will enjoy a beautiful view of landscaped parkland alongside the tree-lined route, which extends through the business district and heads to the coast and KAEC residential neighbourhoods.

King Abdullah Economic City will be one of the four stops of the Haramain Railway network which will connect KAEC to Jeddah and King Abdulaziz airport in less than half an hour and Makkah and Madinah in less than an hour. - TradeArabia News Service