Saudi Arabia plans metro system in Jeddah

Jeddah: Saudi Arabia is preparing plans to build a metro system in its second largest city Jeddah, a project that would cost around 35 billion riyals ($9.3 billion), a deputy mayor of the city said on Sunday.

The metro system, the third one planned in the kingdom, would be 108km long. It would have three lines and 46 stations, according to initial studies, said Ebrahim Kutub Khana, deputy mayor for projects and construction.

“Now we are in the phase of completing the initial studies...and this is being carried out by the Ministry of Transport. Later it will be tendered to international consortia for engineering, procurement and construction,” Kutub Khana told Reuters.

The time frame for the project will be set after the initial studies are completed, he added.

Jeddah, an expanding city of more than 3 million people, has been struggling with inadequate infrastructure and is undergoing a multi-billion dollar overhaul that aims to transform the port city into a trade and tourist centre.

Saudi Arabia, helped by big budget surpluses on the back of high oil prices, is spending over $400 billion in the five years to 2013 to upgrade its infrastructure. It has no metro systems at present but the capital Riyadh and the holy city of Makkah have launched plans to build them.

Earlier this month the Saudi government approved a $16.5 billion plan to modernise transport in Makkah, which will include a bus network and a 182-km metro system. Last month Riyadh pre-qualified four consortia for bidding to build its metro system.

Saudi Arabia also plans to spend 4 billion riyals ($1.1 billion) building hospitals and health care centres in the kingdom, Arab News said, citing Health Minister Abdullah Al Rabeeah.

The ministry will also award tenders “soon” to build the King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Jeddah and the King Abdullah Medical City in Makkah, the Jeddah-based newspaper said, without giving further details.