Saudi Arabia has approved the establishment of a special body intended to speed up construction projects in the kingdom stalled by bureaucracy and lack of co-ordination, a report said.

The government has delegated its trade minister to create the first board of the Saudi Association for Contractors, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

Asharq Al Awsat newspaper said board members would be named within 60 days and the association would constitute the official umbrella of the contractors sector in the kingdom.

The board would be made up of businessmen, engineers and a representative from the trade ministry.

The association is expected to handle matters related to contractors’ business, from issuing permits, visas, competition for projects and execution, the paper said.

Issues such as land allocation and regulations on employing foreign workers have stalled implementation of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious housing programme for years.