Makkah Opens New Ring Road Extension, Cutting Travel Times by Up to 90%

Makkah, Saudi Arabia - The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites has opened the extension of the Third Ring Road to traffic, and it expects trips to the Grand Mosque, and to the Jamarat facility in Mina, to become up to approximately 90% quicker.

The section belongs to the commission’s project to complete the Third Ring Road, which is one of four ring roads circling the city.

Drivers setting off from the Prince Mutib intersection now cover 6.5km to reach the Grand Mosque, against 16.5km before. The trip from the same junction to the Jamarat facility, where pilgrims carry out the symbolic stoning ritual during Hajj, has dropped from 12km to 4km.

According to the commission, its project impact indicators point to a significant improvement in travel efficiency at peak hours and in the busy seasons.

Traffic in both directions combined can reach up to 170,000 vehicles per day on the road.

The commission said the scheme forms part of its work to develop Makkah’s road network, make the city’s sites easier to reach, relieve pressure on the roads around it and get its infrastructure ready for heavy traffic, above all in the Hajj and Umrah seasons.

Saudi Arabia is also planning a direct highway between Jeddah and Makkah, for which bidders were prequalified in March 2026.