3 International Consortiums Win Saudi Metro Contracts Worth US$ 22.5 billion

The Saudi Arabian government awarded US$ 22.5 billion in contracts to three foreign-led consortia on Sunday for the design and construction of a metro rail system in the capital Riyadh. 

The project, which will involve six rail lines extending 176 kilometers and carrying electric, driverless trains, is the world's largest public transport system currently under development, Saudi officials said. 

U.S. construction giant "Bechtel Corp" heads a group which won a US$ 9.45 billion contract to build two lines, the government announced. 

A consortium led by Spain's "FCC" won a US$ 7.82 billion contract for three lines, while Italy's "Ansaldo STS" heads a group that won a US$ 5.21 billion order. 

Design work will start immediately and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2014, the government said. The project would be completed in 2019. 

Designs for the Riyadh Metro call for 35.2 kilometers of twin-tube bored running tunnels and a further 13.7 kilometers of cut-and-cover work for a total subsurface length of nearly 49 km. Preliminary designs of the 176 kilometer metro system have been carried out by consultants Dar Al-Hanasah of Lebanon and Egis Rail of France. 

The Riyadh Metro or the so-called "Miracle of the Desert" consists of six main lines running a total length of 176 km with 94 stations, including 85 main stations, four transfer stations, and five park-and-ride stations. The proposed metro passes through areas near government buildings, commercial and health centers, educational centers and major universities in Riyadh and its suburbs. The metro will also connect the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) through the city center and densely populated areas of Riyadh. Trains on the six lines will run at 40 km/h. All stations and carriages will be air-conditioned. The driverless electric trains will also be divided into first class, family class and single class carriages. 

Designs for the major stations were unveiled by the authority in May, with UK-based architect Zaha Hadid's design chosen for a station at King Abdullah Financial District, Norway's Snohetta chosen for a Downtown (Qasr Al-Hokm) station and Gerber Architekten of Germany's designs picked for a new hub station at Olaya. 

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