Ministry has implemented an experiment to replace the color of asphalt from black to blue and white in Riyadh to cool asphalt surfaces

According to Eng. Badr Al-Dalami, Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistics for Road Affairs, the ministry has started an experiment in Riyadh where asphalt surfaces are being coolant by changing their color from black to blue and white. "The study was finished in the Holy Sites of Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah, and the outcomes were encouraging. In the future, this project will be extended to encompass all areas of the Kingdom," he declared. 

He said this on Monday during the Saudi Road Code unveiling ceremony in Riyadh. The Saudi Road Code was officially launched by Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Roads General Authority.

According to Al-Dalami, the Saudi Road Code is a national accomplishment and will serve as the exclusive technical guide for all organizations building roads in the Kingdom.

The Saudi Road Code serves as a technical guide for all levels of Saudi Arabian government agencies that oversee roads, including ministries, regional development agencies, city development agencies, regional mayors, municipalities of cities, and governorates. This code gives these authorities access to the data they need for the planning, designing, implementing, operating, and maintaining of all kinds of Saudi Arabian roads. The code seeks to establish benchmarks for economic efficiency, sustainability, environment, and safety and security.

The 25 rules that make up the Saudi Road Code cover everything from traffic engineering and road safety to road planning and preparatory studies, design, construction, and maintenance of roads, bridges, and tunnels. Additionally, there is a unique code for the environmental features of highways, and a separate code for the needs of self-driving cars. 

The Roads General Authority is a governmental entity that oversees and controls the whole road network in Saudi Arabia. It is responsible for creating the laws, rules, and procedures required for building and maintaining roads. This is where the idea for the national code originated.