Riyadh: The Council of Saudi Chambers has set up the first specialized national committee for companies of fuel stations and service centers on highways, in a bid to upgrade the poor services offered to local and international travelers. The council said in a statement the formation of the new committee coincided with the decision taken by the council's board of directors at the beginning of this month which stressed the importance of creating a national committee. This came at the request of owners of the fuel stations. The decision also reflects the council's determination to upgrade the standards of various business sectors in the Kingdom. The new committee means there are now 33 sectorial and subsidiary committees covering most economic activities in the country. These committees serve as umbrella bodies for 600 of the leading businessmen in the Kingdom. The committee held its first meeting last week and elected Riyadh Bin Saleh Al-Malik as chairman and Engineer Ahmad Bin Muhammad Al-Faleh and Mahmoud Bin Yousef Al-Magrabi as deputies to the chairman. Ibrahim Al-Hadaithi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Automotive Service Company (SASCO), has expressed his delight at the formation of the committee, pointing out that it will help to remove difficulties facing the sector which is hampering its growth and contribution to economic development. He said the specialized committee was a necessity because so many motorists and passengers visit these stations and rest houses located on the highways. He said the committee will introduce ideas to upgrade the standard of the fuel stations and rest houses to cope with the comprehensive development witnessed by the Kingdom in all walks of life. He said the current standard of these service centers does not create a positive impression of the Kingdom. He said there are 9,000 highway stations, of which 78 percent are owned by individuals, two percent by companies and 19 percent by the ministries of Finance and Municipal and Rural Affairs. He said the committee will ensure these stations are a legal entity to help them compete with others in Gulf countries and the rest of the world. He said the conditions at these stations tarnish the image of the Kingdom, which is visited by millions of visitors yearly.
