Feb 02 2010 |
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Haramain railway gathers steam
JEDDAH: The Council of Ministers moved Monday to speed up the construction of the 450-km Haramain railway project, which will link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah with Jeddah and facilitate the transportation of pilgrims.The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, instructed the state-owned Public Investment Fund ( PIF ) to sign and finance service and business contracts for the project by providing interest-free loans from its revenues.
"The PIF will be compensated for this service through budget allocations in the coming years," Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja told the Saudi Press Agency. The company that is contracted to carry out the project would enjoy all the incentives and facilities given to state projects and be charged at local rates for its energy requirements.
The two ministries will then study the maps expeditiously and inform the Transport Ministry if they have any feedback, the Cabinet said. The government had earlier signed a SR6.7 billion contract with the Al-Rajhi Consortium, led by China Railway, to carry out civilian work. Dar Al-Handasa Consultants received a SR360 million contract to supervise the project while Scott Wilson won a SR89.8 million contract for the railway's management.
The second phase covers construction of railway lines, signal and communication systems, import of train cars and equipment and operation and maintenance.
Addressing the Cabinet meeting, King Abdullah urged ministers to complete all projects, for which allocations have been made in the budget, without delay.
The Cabinet also urged the international community to stand by Yemen in order to help the country overcome its challenges.
The Council of Ministers approved the Kingdom joining the Nuclear Safety Convention, the UN nuclear watchdog agency's pact on maintaining safety in nuclear power plants. Saudi Arabia signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with Washington in 2008 and has been in talks with Paris over the last two years for a similar agreement.
By P.K. Abdul Ghafour
© Arab News 2010
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