The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs confirmed that it has upgraded more than 155 stations nationwide and more than 30% of the required stations on priority roads. This is being done through the Regional Road Gas Station Improvement Program, which it has developed and is currently implementing in cooperation
with several government agencies, in accordance with the generous royal directives and in line with the objectives of the National Transformation Program. The Ministry noted that the program aims to upgrade the largest possible number of existing stations on regional roads—totaling (1,219), in order to foster a competitive environment among companies to provide the best services at gas stations.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs clarified that “the program to improve gas stations on regional roads is primarily aimed at citizens, whether as beneficiaries or investors, by eliminating front companies in this sector through the operation and management of gas stations and service centers on regional roads by companies qualified by the Ministry, which have specialized departments for oversight, quality control, and direct monitoring of operations within the station, in addition to training staff to provide services within the station. It also contributes to creating job opportunities for Saudis, as
operating companies (accredited by the Ministry) provide suitable job opportunities for Saudis at gas stations through monitoring, supervision, and station management or by providing services within the station, while ensuring a suitable work environment.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs stated that this program will achieve the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision and its implementation programs, as it will assign quality ratings to stations similar to the star ratings for hotels, It will also contribute to increasing domestic investment in the sector and provide opportunities for foreign investment
to enter the highway gas station market, where three Gulf companies (ADNOC, ENOC, Oman Oil Company) to manage, operate, and maintain gas stations and service centers on the Kingdom’s regional roads. In addition, specialized foreign companies are considering entering the Saudi market and investing in the gas station sector.
It was reported that the program to develop service centers and gas stations on highways includes incentive programs for investors in this vital sector, with the Ministry—represented by the Center for Supervision and Monitoring of Gas Stations—facilitating all procedures for qualified companies
related to gas stations (licenses, investment sites) and is working to resolve any obstacles these companies may face, if any, in addition to supporting the documentation companies need to improve their performance. Owners of existing stations and service centers have been granted a two-year grace period from the start of the program’s implementation
to address their situations and transfer their operations to specialized petroleum companies from within and outside the Kingdom, followed by an additional one-year grace period, and finally a six-month grace period that ended on 19/3/1439 AH.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs stated that the program comprised four main pillars, including the preparation of a list of gas stations and service centers in coordination with the relevant authorities, establishing mechanisms for monitoring and supervising gas stations and defining the roles and responsibilities of the competent authorities in implementing the program, and the preparation of the principles, standards, and regulations governing the qualification of entities wishing to establish gas stations and service centers on regional roads, in addition to developing a package of incentive programs for investors in this sector, an integrated franchise program for gas stations and service centers, and a program to promote local employment, noting that it has worked to implement this program through several phases, including the issuance of regulations for gas stations and service centers and their publication in the media, as well as the evaluation of service levels at gas stations and service centers, and the qualification of entities
wishing to enter the field of gas stations and service centers on regional roads in the Kingdom, in accordance with approved qualification criteria, standards, and regulations, with the aim of ensuring the facilities“ capability and competence to manage, operate, and maintain gas stations and service centers on regional roads. As a result, (17) specialized companies were issued with facility qualification certificates for the management, operation, and maintenance of gas stations and service centers on regional roads.
The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs noted that the program to improve gas stations and service centers on regional roads has successfully addressed the shortcomings identified at the stations and their affiliated facilities. The Executive Committee for Monitoring and Supervision of Gas Stations
developed a mechanism to evaluate service levels at gas stations and service centers and monitored its implementation by municipal secretariats. It also conducted field visits to gas stations located on regional roads in coordination with the secretariats to inspect the stations and monitor the implementation of the aforementioned mechanism, where
gas stations in violation that failed to meet the minimum requirements of the regulations for gas stations and service centers were closed. The evaluation mechanism stipulated that stations must be completely and immediately closed in the event of substandard service levels at the mosques and restrooms attached to the gas stations.
The Ministry’s requirements for the establishment of gas stations and service centers included compliance with architectural, structural, electrical, sanitary, mechanical, and security requirements, as well as consideration of the needs of people with special needs in the design of station facilities and rest areas, providing separate restrooms for men and women equipped with drinking water, as well as providing prayer rooms for women and men, in addition to maintaining general cleanliness in all station facilities, securing containers in appropriate locations for the collection of waste and debris, and ensuring their prompt disposal in a hygienic and proper manner that complies with environmental and health requirements, while adhering to safety, prevention, and firefighting requirements, and ensuring that employees are trained to respond to potential incidents.
