The transport sector in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be growing by 6 to 10 per cent annually, driven by aggressive construction of new roads, railways and integrated community development projects, said an expert.

For 2010 alone, a total of 6,400 km of new roads have been included in Saudi's transport budget, stated Jamie Dowswell, conference director, International Quality & Productivity Centre (IQPC), organisers of the 'Saudi Arabia Urban Transport Conference 2011.'

The conference, to be jointly organised by Saudi Arabian Ministry of Municipalities & Rural Affairs, will run from February 19 to 22 at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel.

'Development of transport infrastructure for religious pilgrims has also been growing at an accelerated pace, expanding by 10 to 15 per cent annually as Saudi Arabia continues to accommodate a growing number of religious tourists each year,' Dowswell explained.

Several high-profile projects are underway including the $3 billion Riyadh Light Railway, $5.6 billion worth of public transport projects under the Jeddah Strategic Development Plan and the 440 km Haramain High Speed Rail being built in Makkah, Madinah, Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, he added.

The conference, said Dowswell, is the only dedicated business-to-business networking event for all stakeholders of the Kingdom's transportation sector.

It aims to provide a dedicated platform for government authorities, along with local and international consultants, contractors and service providers, to discuss the most suitable transport solutions that will support Saudi's long-term transport development agenda.

The event will gather some of the most important personalities in the transport industry to discuss the latest challenges and the most up-to-date transport solutions that are fully capable of addressing Saudi's rapidly growing transport requirements.

The conference will discuss key transport issues that include best practices in urban transportation planning, major transportation projects underway in Saudi, planning and infrastructure strategies of the development authorities, implementation of appropriate technology for road, rail and metro projects, and integration of new projects with existing transportation infrastructure.

The diverse range of services and solutions to be showcased at the event will cover areas related to ITS, parking systems, speed cameras, RFID, road construction and improvement, road barriers and safety features.

Pavement laying, light rail procurement, rolling stock, electrification, telecommunications, station build, ticketing systems, bus rapid transit technology, smart card technology, LED signage and transportation consulting will be the other areas covered, Dowswell added.-TradeArabia News Service