JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has allocated SR24.5 billion ($6.67 billion) of its 2011 budget towards municipal services, including the construction of intercity roads and bridges, said an expert, citing official data. The current major infrastructure projects include the 800-meter-long bridge at the intersection between King Abdulaziz and King Abdullah road and intersections for the Madina and Al Amal roads, said Jamie Dowswell, conference director of Bridges Saudi Arabia, International Quality & Productivity Center (IQPC). Bridges Saudi Arabia, to run from March 27 to 30 at the Crowne Plaza in Jeddah, will showcase the Kingdom's existing and planned bridge infrastructure projects. It provides an important platform for key decision makers, developers and authorities to come together and assess the Kingdom's bridge and road construction landscape, share best practices and discuss challenges and solutions," Dowswell added. Kingdom, he said, was focused on engaging local, regional and international partners to ensure that it lays down the right infrastructure that can support present and future needs. "The bridge development and maintenance in particular have been prioritized as they are integral to Saudi's developing infrastructure," he added. The event, to be held under the patronage of Dr Hani Bin Mohamed Bin Ahmed Abu Ras, Mayor of Jeddah, will give an exclusive insight into Jeddah municipality's procedures and tender processes. Bridges Saudi Arabia is organized by IQPC as part of its global Bridge event series which hosts summits in Europe, America and Asia. During his keynote, Dr Abu Ras will highlight the local government's commitment to improving efficiency and planning to closely monitor infrastructure development projects. "One important aspect of the event is that it will feature many case studies on existing and upcoming bridge and road projects. This provides participants with the most up-to-date view of how transport works are undertaken in the Kingdom and what unique planning and management strategies backed by global expertise are needed to optimise their development," Dowswell said. Major contractors including CPC Holding, Shibh Al Jazira, Maurer Sohne, ECO, EarthTech, MK4MEPS, Archirodon, Acrow Misr, Inspectech, PERI, Pitchmastic PmB, VSL, QACS, CCL, Volkmann & Rossbach, Doka, GTI, Stirling Lloyd and Ulma will showcase their technologies and products at the expo.
