Saudi company rebuild al-Hijaz railway line in three years

Syrian and Saudi officials yesterday laid the foundation stone for the renewal of the railway line which links the two countries known as "al-Hijaz railway" in a project on which the chairman of al-Hijaz railway line, Salah Ahmad, said will bring to Syria 10,000 job opportunities and two million dollars in annual revenues.

The Syrian prime minister, Naji al-Otari, and the chairman of the Saudi al-Salam company, which will carry out the project, and Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sharif opened the project in Damascus yesterday.

The Saudi company is to renew the project within a period of 3 years at a cost of 70 million, and to be invested by its for 25 years, and then to be turned over to the Syrian general railway establishment by the end of the contract. The project states to install the railway line, and rebuild a trade center including trade shops, restaurants and luxury flats.