Five percent of parking spaces on commercial roads should be set aside for electric vehicles and fitted with charging points so drivers can recharge while parked, under recommendations in the Saudi Road Code highlighted by the Roads General Authority (RGA).

The authority said the measure is meant to organise parking in a way that suits each road, the facilities along it and the needs of users, as part of efforts to improve the road-user experience, raise quality of life and meet the targets of the Roads Sector Program.

According to the RGA, the code is a comprehensive technical reference for every body responsible for roads in the Kingdom, from ministries and city development authorities to regional municipalities and city and governorate municipalities. It sets out the information, guidance, technical drawings, procedures and checklists needed to plan, design, build, operate and maintain all types of roads, taking environmental and safety requirements into account.

The authority added that the code underpins its strategy to create a unified legislative and regulatory framework for the road sector, standardising technical and operational requirements nationwide and covering a road's entire life cycle, backed by flexible but firm oversight mechanisms.