SAUDI ARABIA FREE
OF HIGH-RISK ROADS
Credit: Shutterstock
The Saudi Arabia Road Assessment Programme (KSARAP) is a and link with intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to monitor
locally led, globally supported road assessment programme. It is traffic flows, detect potential hazards, and provide real-time
a collaboration between the Roads General Authority (RGA) and information to drivers
International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). • inform road maintenance so that road defects are addressed
KSARAP is a key enabler of the National Transport Strategy promptly to ensure that Star Ratings and safety do not deteriorate
(NTS) 2030 which makes safety a top priority across all transport over time
organizations, through targeted interventions to improve the safety
• encourage collaboration among government agencies, traffic
of roads and improve the overall safety culture of operators and
authorities, road safety organizations, and private stakeholders
end users alike. The RGA Road Sector Strategy aims to reduce road
both nationally and regionally, to address road safety challenges
traffic fatalities from 13 per 100,000 population to 5.
collectively
KSARAP will:
NTS 2030 sets a target of ensuring that 100% of highways and dual
• help reduce deaths and injuries on Saudi Arabia’s roads by carriageways along main corridors achieve a 3-star or better rating
systematically assessing risk and identifying safety shortcomings by 2030, exceeding the target set in the UN Global Plan for the
that can be addressed with practical road improvement measures Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
• establish risk assessment and data-driven insights as key factors
to inform targeted safety interventions and policy decisions
iRAP estimates that achieving >75% of travel on 3-star
• provide meaningful information on where the greatest levels of
or better roads for all road users in Saudi Arabia by
risk are faced, and in turn influence behaviour 2030 will save over 451,700 lives and serious injuries
• foster the use of advanced technologies including AiRAP for the over the 20 year life of treatments with an economic
‘accelerated and intelligent’ capture of road safety-related data, benefit of USD$13.6 for every $1 spent.
IRAP.ORG 2030 VISION TO ELIMINATE HIGH-RISK ROADS
STAR RATING EXAMPLE
RIYADH MAKKAH HIGHWAY
Credit: Shutterstock
Operational Speed 120 km/h
No intersection
Dual-carriageway with concrete median barrier
Concrete barrier on passenger side
Good delineation/Road condition
Wide paved shoulder
WHAT IS A STAR RATING? ABOUT IRAP
Star Ratings are based on road inspection data and provide an iRAP is a registered charity with a vision for a world free of high-
objective measure of the level of safety which is ‘built-in’ to the road risk roads. iRAP works in partnership with governments, road
for vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. authorities, mobility clubs, development banks, NGOs and research
Star Ratings can be completed in urban and rural areas and without organisations to support safety assessments, capacity building, and
reference to detailed crash data. safety performance tracking. iRAP tools have been used in more
Five-star roads are the safest while one-star roads are the least safe. than 170 countries to Star Rate more than 1.5 million kilometres
The safest roads (4- and 5-stars) have speeds that are appropriate for of roads and designs, assess risk at more than 1,300 schools, and
the road environment, safe intersection designs, safe exits and entries influence the safety of more USD$100 billion of road infrastructure
to highways, and median barriers to separate flows of opposing traffic. investment. Nearly 1.8 million km have been crash-rate risk
mapped and more than 63,000 people have been trained globally.
WHAT IS A SAFER ROADS INVESTMENT PLAN? The iRAP tools underpin the UN Global Plan for the UN Decade
Star Ratings inform Investment Plans which are a prioritized list of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 and Global Road Safety
of safety countermeasures that can cost-effectively improve Star Performance Targets.
Ratings and reduce risk. The plans provide an estimate of the
number of lives and serious injuries that could be saved along with
FOR MORE INFORMATION
an economic analysis that makes the ‘business case’ for investment. Eng Mohammed Al-Abood
Head of Traffic Engineering and Safety Department
POLICY INTO ACTION Roads General Authority (RGA)
Putting the NTS 2030 Strategy into action, RGA has performed the world’s Email: eng.alobood@mot.gov.sa
largest iRAP assessment, covering an 73,000km network of roads. Greg Smith
The assessments produce Star Ratings and Investment Plans that Global Programme Director
will guide life-saving improvements to roads across the country, and International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP)
are helping to build capacity for local experts. Email: greg.smith@irap.org
ABOUT THE RGA On the safety of KSA’s roads, the road attributes that matter and
Roads General Authority (RGA) is a regulatory authority under the Business Case for Safer Roads, visit https://irap.org/safety-
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services that is insights-explorer/
responsible for overseeing the country’s construction, operation and Sign up to receive iRAP newsletters at https://irap.org/media-
maintenance of roads. It was established in accordance with the centre/stayinformed/ to hear more about KSARAP and global safer
National Transport and Logistics Strategy by the Cabinet of Saudi roads activities
Arabia in August 2022.
KSARAP is proudly supported by
IRAP.ORG 2030 VISION TO ELIMINATE HIGH-RISK ROADS
