Ali bin Haif Al Qahtani, a member of the Taif Investment and Tourism Company (TITC), board of directors, described the tunnel as a strategic project. “It will have a big economic impact,” the Arabic daily Al-Watan quoted him as saying.

Al Qahtani said that the tunnel will begin at Khalidiya in Taif and end at Al Kar and connect with the Makkah-Taif Expressway.

The 11-km tunnel, which is estimated to cost more than SR2 billion, is scheduled for completion in three years and reduce travel time between the two cities to 20 minutes. Makkah Governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal has approved the establishment of a firm named Al Tareek Investment & Development Company to implement the project with the support of investors.

According to Abdul Rahman Al Quraie, director general of TITC, a feasibility study on the project has been completed. He said that TITC is one of the founders of the new Al Tareek company, and added that Prince Khaled has agreed to increase the company’s capital from SR100 million to SR200 million.

Thamir Hussein Al Kuthairy, an engineering consultant, said there will be two parallel tunnels, each with three lanes; one for upward traffic to Taif and the other for downward traffic to Makkah.

habib@khaleejtimes.com