Muscat - With preliminary activity on Oman's ambitious national railway project picking up pace, as many as five international engineering and consulting firms have submitted technical offers for the 'consultancy services for project management' contract.
The consultancy tender was opened on Monday, according to details on the Tender Board website. The tender was floated on June 16 and it received interest from around 29 international companies. But only five submitted technical offers till Monday, the last day for submission.
The five companies in the running are: US-based global consulting firm Parsons Brinckerhoff International; leading Spanish engineering firm Tecnicas Reunidas; US-based global project management consultancy firm Hill International; South Korean engineering consulting firm Dohwa Engineering and Parsons International and Co.
Abdulrahman al Hatmi, director of the railway project, had earlier said that the contract for the selection of a project management consultant is expected to be awarded by the end of the year. He said that the pre-qualification process for the 'design-and-build' contract will be kick-started once a project management consultant is appointed.
"We will try to close the process by the end of this year or early next year as we look to award the design-and-build contract next year," Hatmi had said.
Recently, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) awarded the 'consultancy services for preliminary design' contract to Italferr, the Italian State Railways Group engineering firm. Italferr bagged the project after overcoming competition from two other firms.
In September, the MoTC will organise a public symposium to encourage the private sector and investors to exploit investment opportunities and to discuss the multitude of business opportunities linked to the railway project.
© Muscat Daily 2013
