Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) praised the National Roads Authority (NRA) for the remarkable progress of works registered in the ongoing OIC 50km road project in the country.

As part of the team’s mission, a technical site visit was conducted on the ongoing OIC 50km urban roads project.

The Saudi Arabian team, under the leadership of Abdourahman Alharbi Tuesday, 22nd April 2025, visited both Lot 1 and 2 of the 50km ongoing road projects in Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region, respectively.

Speaking after the site visits, the NRA deputy managing director, Mr. Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, thanked the mission and expressed gratitude to the Saudi Fund for giving the government of the Gambia the funds to construct these much-needed roads in the urban area totalling 50 kilometres.

He added that “it is a great infrastructural development opportunity for the Gambia and a major accomplishment for the government and President Adama Barrow.”

According to Mr Sumareh, the 50km road project is important not only for NRA but also for the Gambia at large. He added that the road network would make travelling time faster and would ease connectivity as well. The NRA DMD went on to promise the Saudi team that his Authority, NRA, would work with contractors to continue delivering quality works and timely deliverance of road projects in the Gambia.

Abdourahman Alharbi, Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) team leader to the Gambia, expressed delight for the current progress of work compared to their previous visits, noting that the 50km roads are a very important project to the Gambia and to the Fund as well.

“We just want to encourage the NRA, contractors, and consultants to expedite work and complete the project,” he further said

Fathalli Hassine, the Consultant from Pace and Gamecs, stated that the ongoing 50km road projects are progressing smoothly, noting that the current progress of work in Lot 1 is 78% while Lot 2 is at 70%, respectively.

According to him, most of the delays in the progress of work are due to the relocation of services of water and electricity in both Lots.