| Buses Adequate To Ferry Haj Pilgrims |
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MECCA, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- Saudi Arabia has achieved self-sufficiency in land transport and does not need to rent buses from foreign countries, even during the Haj season, Saudi Arabian English daily Arab News quoted Ali Hassan Naqoor, deputy chairman of the National Transport Committee as saying.
"There are now 16 transport companies, which own more than 20,000 buses of different types and models," Naqoor told Arab News.
He estimated the sector's annual growth at six to 10 per cent and with new development projects such as railways, airports and new transport firms, would make the sector one of the best in the region, adding that the kingdom's air, land and marine transport was growing at a rate of 20 per cent annually, especially during the last five years.
He said the pilgrim transport sector was experiencing a growth rate of 10 to 15 percent annually.
Naqoor reported substantial progress in intercity air and land transport systems and stressed the need to introduce new regulations to attract investment in the sector in order to carry out projects.
He said new transport projects in Mecca include the second King Abdul Aziz Road, monorail and the Al-Haramain Railway.
Meanwhile, director of the guidance office for the pilgrims' buses, Faisal Abdul Rahman Asrah, said a total of 2,000 buses carrying pilgrims from different countries had entered Mecca through the Al-Shimaisi checkpoint on the Mecca-Jeddah expressway.
He said on an average, 500 buses entered Mecca daily through the checkpoint.
-- BERNAMA
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