Dubai
A series of tenders for rail links connecting Jubail in Saudi Arabia’s eastern province will be awarded by the end of the year, an executive from the company that is overseeing the railway said on Tuesday.
The three signal and telecommunications tenders for railways connecting Jubail with Damman, Ras Al Khair and Wa’ad Al Shamal “should be tendered immediately,” Bashar K. Al Malek, projects director at Saudi Railway Company (SAR), told reporters in Dubai.
Al Malek did not state the value of the tenders, however, said pre-qualification for tender bidding for the construction of the much talked about Riyadh-Jeddah railway link will start “between the first and second quarter of next year.”
The Riyadh-Jeddah railway link will be a double 958 kilometre track for passengers and freight. Al Malek said at least four tenders would be awarded for the combined 1,916 kilometres of track. The tenders will include the construction of train stations.
Al Malek said recent construction tenders awarded for a combined 200 kilometres of rail on a separate rail link were worth over a billion riyal.
Al Malek confirmed the Saudi government will finance the entire Riyadh-Jeddah link and that the projects initial 20 billion Saudi riyal budget is under revision.
SAR awarded the project management consultancy contract last year and has also awarded the design contract, Al Malek said.
“We’re moving forward as fast as we can. We’re planning to start construction very soon and specifically as soon as the detailed design is finished,” Al Malek said on the sidelines of the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) Rail and Metro Summit.
He declined to provide a date for the construction to start; however, he said construction will take four years to complete.
Pre-qualification for signalling and telecommunications and trains and carriages will follow the construction bid, Al Malek said.
