RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s strategic location connecting Asia, Africa, and Europe has propelled the country’s goal of becoming a global logistics hub for the three continents. It also helped the Kingdom become a leader in logistics and transport sectors, as it is consolidating the country’s network of 72,000 km of roads, including 3,690 bridges and 76 tunnels. This comes as the Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services is looking at effective plans to connect the far-flung regions and shorten the distances between cities. Additionally, the ministry has planned to facilitate the procedures linked to the arrival and movement of visitors, tourists, and pilgrims to the two holy mosques. According to a recent report, it added 56 roads totaling 1,610 km in 2022, besides inspecting 608 bridges and 37 tunnels to ensure the infrastructure was safe and sound. The Kingdom also bolstered its air network last year, launching the King Salman International Airport and two terminals of King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, expanding Al-Qaisumah Airport, and completing the institutional transformation of 25 airports in the Kingdom. Furthermore, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Kingdom operated daily flights to transport passengers to Qatar. The infrastructure push led to 88 million passengers taking flights last year, even as the freight transport touched 623,000 tons. Rail networks last year also recorded a 115 percent increase to 5.8 million travelers compared to 2021. The Al-Mashaaer Al-Mugaddassah Metro Line transported over 1.3 million pilgrims during the Hajj season last year. Moreover, over 23 million tons of minerals and goods were moved via trains, a 9 percent increase over 2021. The railway sector also witnessed prominent launches including the project linking the North and East networks, the Jubail inner network, the Al-Qurayyat passenger train, and the car freight service via passenger trains in the North Railway. The report revealed that the train network kept 1.8 million trucks off the Kingdom’s roads. Launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2021, the National Transport and Logistics Strategy is a significant driver in reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub.