On April 03, 2019, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Riyadh Development Authority (RDA) chaired RDA’s second meeting of 1440H.

HE CEO of Riyadh Development Authority, Engr. Tariq bin Abdulaziz Al-Faris said that the meeting approved the Riyadh Road Network Priority List of 1440-1441H, which covers 19 items including 68 kilometer of ring roads, 38 kilometers of arterial roads, 74 kilometers of freeways and 8 key metropolitan intersections.

The meeting also reviewed the RDA’s Advanced Traffic Control Project, which is built on the world-class central traffic control system, TransSuite, that directly receives traffic data from the traffic cameras and signal controllers deployed across the city of Riyadh. Then, the system analyzes such data instantly and adjusts the timing of traffic signals to optimize the traffic flow and ensure overall synchronization. The system generates regular traffic reports and manages traffic flow during crises giving priority to the emergency vehicles. It can also monitor all intersections in the city with cameras to ensure rapid response to the different emergencies.

To date, 330 of the first phase’s 420 intersections across the city have been completed and are in service.

The meeting also reviewed the efforts of the Riyadh Urban Observatory, which, under the umbrella of the Riyadh Development Authority, monitors all the city’s urban development projects and facilitates the follow-up of the progress achieved through 117 urban indicators developed in participation with 56 stakeholders covering all metropolitan sectors.

During its third session, the Riyadh Urban Observatory adopted key recommendations, including:

• Study the key results, causes and social consequences of the divorce rates uncovered by the “divorce indicator”
• Develop a mechanism to increase the number of trees grown each year
• Add the smart city indicators to the Observatory’s future work plans
• Sign a cooperation agreement with the International ‎Telecommunication Union (ITU), pursuant to which the city of Riyadh joins other 50 cities ‎worldwide under the umbrella of the ITU’s KPIs on Smart Sustainable Cities Project.‎
• Sign a memorandum of understanding with the World City Data Council, pursuant to which the city of Riyadh to be named a “local 2030 data hub”.

The RDA also revealed during the meeting that – based on its estimates – the metropolitan population reached 6.9 million, with a growth rate of 3.5% in 1440H. The Saudis constituted 66% of the total population while the non-Saudis accounted for the remaining 34%. The age group (25 years and below) represented 50% of the city’s Saudi population.

The RDA approved a request by the Al Batterjee Group to build seven hospitals located across the city, with a total of 340 new patient beds.

In the same context, the meeting also approved a group of tourist, recreational, commercial and office projects, including:

• A 23-villa tourist complex project in Al-Qirawan neighborhood (total area 15,000 square meters)
• A commercial office complex project that includes a 7-story 5-star hotel, on the Al-Takhassusi Road (Thumamah), Al-Monsiya neighborhood (total area 170,000 square meters)
• A 13-floor complex project comprising entertainment, office, commercial and hotel facilities, at the intersection of King Abdullah Road and the Eastern Ring Road, Al-Hamra neighborhood (total area 92,000 square meters)
• A 15-floor 5-star hotel tower on the Northern Ring Road (total area 25,000 square meters)