RIYADH: Commercial trucks can travel 24 hours a day on the newly constructed highway connecting Saudi Arabia and Oman through the empty desert (Rubu’ul Khali). The Oman Embassy in Saudi Arabia said the border checkpoint will operate 24 hours a day. Earlier, the trucks could be serviced for 12 hours.
The Ambassador of Oman to Saudi Arabia, Syed Faisal bin Turki Al Saeed, held discussions with the Governor of the Saudi Zakat-Taxation-Customs Authority, Suhail Abanmi. In this meeting it was decided to open the check post 24 hours.
As part of the security of the highway, the Royal Oman Police had started operations at the border check post from the beginning. The border is equipped with elaborate systems and equipment to provide a range of services including passport, residence card, tax clearance, audit, export and import inspection. Opening the road for trucks 24 hours a day is expected to facilitate the movement of goods between the two countries.
At the same time, the Minister of Transport, Communication and Information Technology Saeed bin Hamoud Al Mawali had earlier informed that about four lakh people have already traveled through the Oman-Saudi road this year. It is expected that the number of passengers and cargo traffic will increase up to three times within the next five years. About five lakh tonnes of cargo has been transported till the first week of September this year.
The highway connecting Saudi Arabia and Oman through Rubu’ul Khali was inaugurated on December 7 last year. The road was opened in the context of the visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This is the largest desert highway in the region. Previously, the only land route connecting Oman to Saudi Arabia was a 1,638 km long route through the UAE. This journey used to take 16 to 18 hours.
However, with the coming of the new road, the distance has been reduced by 800 km. The road to Oman starts from Tanam in Ibri. The road is used for travel between countries including foreigners. During Kharif, many people came to Oman through this route.