Saudi Arabia, Bahrain to seek tenders for new bridge

RIYADH – Saudi Arabia and Bahrain announced on Wednesday that tenders would be invited next week for consultancy services for a new bridge linking the two Gulf states. Minister of Transport Dr. Nabeel Al-Amoudi and Bahrain’s Minister of Transportations and Telecommunications Eng. Kamal Bin Ahmed Mohammed said that the tender’s scope is to manage the transitional phase of the bridge project that will be parallel to the existing King Fahd Causeway. They made the announcement on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative being held in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Amoudi said the directives of the leaders of the two countries were the first impetus to start the project of this bridge and railway project, which was the best stimulant for the two countries to face the challenges. “The project will be implemented in partnership with the private sector and that is in line with the royal directives in both countries.”

On his part, the Bahraini minister said the King Fahd Causeway Authority would put forward the tender for the bridge next week. He said this would be an advanced stage for this strategic project that was preceded by a series of important steps, including the completion of the preliminary economic feasibility study and initial design.

Ahmed Al-Qahbani, chairman of the King Fahd Causeway Authority, expressed pride over the trust reposed by the leaders of the two countries on the authority by entrusting it to go ahead with the project tender. He said that the authority is ready with the participation of the Ministry of Transport to manage this tender and work on its success as it was in the previous stages.

The 25-km King Fahd Causeway, the longest in the Arab world, was inaugurated in Nov. 1986. The two countries made the announcement about the new causeway parallel to it in Sept. 2014.