In a statement to "Al-Rai", he indicated that one of the most prominent goals of the project is to provide an alternative road to the tourist street, paving the way for converting the tourist street into a pedestrian path, which would improve the visitor experience and regulate traffic within the area.
He explained that the first phase of the project includes the construction of 38 shops below the road, with the number gradually increasing to reach 71 shops upon completion of the works.
He pointed out that the project also includes the construction of facilities and parking lots below the road, with a capacity of approximately 70 vehicles, which contributes to providing additional parking solutions and regulating vehicle movement in the area.
Al-Sawa'ir indicated that the new road will work to regulate traffic in a circular manner, in addition to providing a new entrance to the Petra College of Tourism and Archaeology at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, as the road will allow the main gate of the college to be opened from the side connected to the archaeological site, after it had been closed due to the lack of a road serving it from that side.
He emphasized that the project will contribute to improving the level of services and reducing congestion in the center of Wadi Musa city, in addition to enhancing connectivity between the various areas surrounding the tourist site.
Regarding other development projects, Al-Sawa'ir said that the Authority is taking advantage of the current period, which is witnessing a decline in the number of incoming tourists, to implement a number of infrastructure projects, most notably the Umm Sayhun road project, the land subdivision project, and the bus station project in Wadi Musa.
He pointed out that these projects come within the Authority's direction to strengthen infrastructure in the region and prepare the area to receive tourists, which opens the way for visitors to reach various areas of Petra.
Al-Sawa'ir noted that developing infrastructure and diversifying the paths and sites that tourists can visit would contribute to extending the duration of a tourist's stay in Petra, and opening wider areas to benefit from tourism activity in various regions of the territory.
The Al-Dara area development project comes within a package of projects implemented by the Petra Region Authority with the aim of improving the urban landscape and tourism services, regulating the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, and enhancing the local community's benefit from tourism activity.
