Dubai: Saudi Arabia has opened a major extension of Mecca’s Third Ring Road, cutting travel times to the Grand Mosque and the Jamarat facility in Mina by up to 90 per cent, the Royal Commission for Mecca City and Holy Sites announced.

The newly opened section forms part of a project to complete the Third Ring Road, one of four major ring roads surrounding the holy city, aimed at easing congestion and improving access to key religious sites.

According to the commission, the project has significantly improved traffic efficiency, particularly during peak hours and the Hajj and Umrah seasons.

The distance from the Prince Miteb intersection to the Grand Mosque has been reduced from 16.5km to 6.5km, while the route to the Jamarat facility, where pilgrims perform the symbolic stoning ritual during Hajj, has been shortened from 12km to 4km.

The road can accommodate up to 170,000 vehicles daily in both directions.…