Saudi, Bahrain causeway reopens

Saturday, April 16, 2011 - The King Fahd causeway to Bahrain reopens Friday after two moths of closure due to security concerns. The Saudi authorities are confident that normal conditions are prevailing in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A green signal is given to the Saudi citizens to use the facility. Thousands of Saudi citizens use the causeway especially during holidays. Saudis constitute the vast majority of tourists visiting Bahrain.

According to the Saudi official statistics over 200,000 used the causeway in under five days in the last Eid Al-Adha. About 91,000 passed its checkpoints in one single day during that period. Due to rush traffic, the Saudi authorities have increased the number of traffic lines on both sides of the facility to 18 lanes. The reopening of the causeway generates tremendous interests among the Saudis. People are optimistic here that the situation is vast returning to normal.

The causeway is a landmark in the bilateral relations. The planning of building the causeway started during the reign of late King Faisal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud in 1965. The construction started in 1981 and took six long years. On November 26, 1986 it was officially inaugurated by later King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. It cost $ 2.1 billion.