KSA government launches tender for Riyadh metro
Arriyadh Development Authority invites international consortia to prequalify for the project
A tender process for the long anticipated metro system in Riyadh has finally been launched by the Saudi Arabian government, it was announced on Thursday.
Intended to ease the congestion plaguing the Saudi Arabian capital’s gridlocked roads, the new metro system will come as a welcome relief in a country that has limited public transport facilities.
The Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) invited international consortia to prequalify for the project, which it wants to be finished within four years.
“ADA invites global consortia specialised in the production and supply of rolling stock, control and telecoms systems as well as metro tunnelling, civil, mechanical and electrical works to prequalify for the Riyadh metro project,” the authority said in a statement.
The prequalification notice came with a June 20 deadline.
In April of this year, the Saudi Arabian cabinet approved plans to develop a new public transport network in the city, which would include both a metro and a fleet of new buses, a report by Reuters said.
The project would be overseen by a committee headed by Prince Sattam, who was appointed Riyadh Governor in November and is chairman of ADA. The committee also includes the finance and transport ministers.
Last year, The Big Project reported that the focus on infrastructure development in the Kingdom was driving a near 10% annual growth in the transport sector.
Estimates place the growth between 6% and 10% due to the volume of new roads, railways and integrated community development projects.
Furthermore, the increasing influx of pilgrims visiting the country has also pushed the growth forwards, with the likes of the Mecca metro line being of prime importance to the smooth flow of millions of religious visitors.
