The Saudi Shura Council has called on the Public Transport Authority to coordinate with relevant agencies to study the establishment of metro systems in the Kingdom’s major cities and urban centers.
The recommendation came during the Council’s regular session, held on Tuesday and chaired by Deputy Speaker Dr. Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Sulami.
In a formal resolution, the Council urged the Public Transport Authority to expand and diversify the number of logistics training programs offered by the Saudi Logistics Academy to better meet sector needs. It also called for the Authority, in coordination with concerned entities, to review and improve the standards used to evaluate the quality of shuttle transport services for pilgrims to ensure efficiency.
The Council further emphasized the need to increase the passenger capacity across the Kingdom’s railway network and to raise train speeds to match those of the high-speed Haramain Railway.
Additionally, the Shura Council reviewed the annual report of Saudia, the national airline, for the previous fiscal year. Council member Dr. Reemah Al-Yahya highlighted the importance of improving passenger experience by streamlining services and swiftly addressing customer needs.
Council member Sarah Qassem called on Saudia to reassess its investments and subsidiaries, proposing a clear action plan to determine the future of these entities -whether through privatization, conversion to public shareholding companies, or closure - in order to achieve the necessary financial sustainability.
The Council also discussed the annual report of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Dr. Taqwa Omar advocated for expanding the base of major telecom companies by enacting incentives and legislative policies that attract new investments and support the growth of startups into major national telecommunications firms.
Meanwhile, Dr. Aisha Arishi urged the Ministry to implement projects and stimulus packages aimed at improving broadband quality in border areas, ensuring faster network access and higher internet speeds in those regions.
In another matter, the Council examined the annual report of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority. Dr. Hassan Al-Masloum called for improved mechanisms to assess local content in the pharmaceutical industry and recommended setting minimum requirements for technology, training, and raw materials within the local content framework.
