Dammam: The Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) will hold a formal briefing on the Makkah-Madinah Rail Link (MMRL) project for the interested international investors during a designated project day sometime in May. This will also serve to kick off the MMRL project, according to an official of SRO.
SRO is looking for a high-technology, high-speed passenger train that is technically advanced, economical to construct, and meets the passenger s high expectation in comfort and safety, The SRO official said.
Several initial meetings were held with a number of interested companies, However, the project day is the appropriate time for SRO to formally announce the launch of the project. He explained.
The MMRL project proposes to link the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to the ports of Jeddah and Yanbu and entails the construction of new lines between Jeddah and Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah, and between Jeddah and Yanbu.
This project will best serve the interest of Umrah visitors and 2.5 million Hajj pilgrims traveling between Makkah and Madinah every year.
SRO has already made initial contacts with international companies for the procurement of the infrastructures, which will be undertaken through the build-operate-transfer (BOT) concession. SRO has also engaged the services of international advisors SNCF International, UBS and Linklaters to support the company during the pre-bid process. Among the companies that have significant interest in the MMRL project, are Bombardier of Canada, a world leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, Ansaldo Signal NV of Italy, and Siemens.
It is also expected to announce the short listing of nine consortia soon hoping to pre-qualify for participation in the process for the Saudi Landbridge project, another railway expansion project of SRO. The consortia include leading Saudi and international companies from the USA, UK, Germany, Canada, France, China, India, Korea, Russia, Spain and Italy.
The Landbridge project, considered the cornerstone of SRO s expansion program and approved Supreme Economic Council, is to be implemented through private sector participation as a BOT concession.
It will be the first rail link between the Red Sea in the western region and the Arabian Gulf in Jubail. When completed it will spur economic activities in the areas it traverses.
By Joe Avancena
© The Saudi Gazette 2006
