New Saudi-Oman road to open soon

The new direct road linking Oman with Saudi Arabia will be open to the public soon, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing Ibrahim Al-Omar, governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA).

"The new 726-kilometer-long road is expected to boost the growth of trade exchange and joint investments between both countries," he added, speaking on the sidelines of the Oman-Saudi Business Forum.

The road project will help reduce the travel distance between the two countries by over 800 kilometers (km) and replace the existing route, which passes through the UAE.

The road runs through the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter). The highway on the Oman side is about 160-km long, starting from Tanam in Ibri and ending at the Saudi border. From Saudi Arabia, it stretches 247 km from the Omani border to the Shaybah Oil Field and 319 km from Shaybah to the Batha-Haradh road, which leads to Riyadh.

The new road will cover 160 km in Oman, with the remaining 566 km in Saudi Arabia, it added.