Project / Tender - Complete Information

This project involves the first stage of a light railway scheme in Riyadh. It will include two lines. The first line would run 25 kilometres, have 23 stations and run on a north-south axis across the city. The second line will have 17 kilometres of track, 13 stations and cross the city from east to west. The client is currently preparing to release the invitations to bid (ITBs) to international consultants for the contract to carry out a 30 per cent design of the planned light railway. The design contract will cover both light rail lines running north-south and east-west. It is still not clear whether the project would be implemented on a design-build, a design-build-operate or a design-build-operate-finance scheme. The client is also in the process of evaluating proposals from international consultants to carry out a comprehensive study for the light railway network. Client Contact: Mr. Jalal Ahmad Naffakh (General Director - Transportation). Tel: (+966-11) 488 3331. Seven companies, including US' Parsons Brinckerhoff International and France's Systra, have submitted proposals for the contract. The study is expected to take 12-18 months. While the 30 per cent design will be based on over-ground options only, the comprehensive study might re-introduce an underground element. 

Work is currently in progress and completion of a final step in a process.

 

Parsons International bagged an additional contract worth USD 148 million for program management of this project.

 

Project is nearing completion and expected to be completed soon.

 

Riyadh Metro is in final stages and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) will set the date of launching its operations later. 

 

Client has announced the completion of the construction and civil works of this project while the overall completion of the project has reached 92 per cent. A mammoth infrastructure project, Riyadh Metro boasts 85 railway stations, apart from six major metro lines that have been established to cover the capital city of Riyadh from all directions. There will also be a network of buses and all these cover an area of 1800 km. More than 80 per cent of the works linked to the railway stations and 350 km of rail roads across the city have been completed clocking 40,000 safe working hours. Riyadh Metro has taken delivery of more than 180 trains which are on trial run. The experimental operation of the trains has reached advanced stages, during which the trains had crossed about 2 million km on all tracks. Preparations are under way to start operation of buses in the city. It will start receiving passengers in the first quarter of 2022

 

Project is expected to be completed by end of 2021.

 

Riyadh Metro project will be launched soon, as the project is almost 90% complete. 

 

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) is planning to partially launch Riyadh Metro in Q3 2021, following commencement of trial operations.

 

Construction works are currently in progress on this scheme. 

 

It is understood that the three lines in this development are set to open by mid-2020. The three lines will include Line 2, 3 and 4, while the remaining lines will be opened by end 2020. Work is progressing as scheduled without delay. All the heavy construction has been completed and all of the trains have been delivered.

 

Tecfire has been awarded a sub-contract for The Olaya Metro Station. Salumco (The Saudi Aluminum Industries Co.) has awarded the project and Tecfire will manufacture, supply and supervise the installation of the required glazing systems for this project. Tecfire will be providing it’s very own SteelFire fire-rated glass systems consisting of glass curtain walls, glass doors, and glass partitions. The products are tested and certified in accordance to NFPA Standards (National Fire Protection Association), NFPA is an international nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. Tecfire fire-rated glass systems successfully passed all tests conducted for the American (NFPA) standard as stipulated in NFPA 251 and 252: for standard methods of test of fire resistance of building construction and materials and standard methods of fire tests of door assemblies, respectively.

 

WellAir, a leading manufacturer of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) and portable air purification products has announced that its plasma air ionisation solutions have been deployed at the Riyadh Metro Project. The contract for the plasma air ionisation solutions was awarded by Petra Engineering Industries. Petra's Jordan facility provided the HVAC ionisation equipment to lines 4, 5, and 6 and included Plasma Air in their systems. These ionisation systems are designed to safely control bacteria, mould, odours, and PM2.5 effectively. The new stations will now benefit greatly from clean indoor air, free from harmful pollutants and contaminants.

 

Construction works are under way for two additional stations connecting the Riyadh Metro to King Khalid International airport. This brings the total number of stations on the 176.5-kilometre Riyadh Metro network to 87. Construction work on the two stations could extend into 2020. The value of the contract for the two stations has not been disclosed. It is understood commissioning of the metro’s six lines will commence next year. Construction works are currently in progress on this scheme.

 

Construction works are currently in progress on this scheme.

 

King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) station is one of the four main stations of Riyadh Metro, thought to be the biggest elevated metro transfer station in the world at 32m high, 42m wide, and 232m long, it is raising the bar for architectural design and engineering, is currently taking shape. Located west of King Fahd Road adjacent to the under-construction KAFD, the station will serve as the main interchange for Riyadh Metro, connecting Lines 1, 4, and 6, with skybridge access to a separate monorail system. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, KAFD station features a complex geometric façade designed to resemble sine-waves. Against the backdrop of chrome and steel skyscrapers, the metallic curvature forming the glass-reinforced concrete façade helps the station standout as an architectural landmark of the future. Murray admits that the engineering behind the façade is equally impressive. One of the interesting things about this project is that the structure is freestanding over the station and ties in at ground level. As the external steel structure weighs approximately 4,237 tonnes (t) with a further 2,785t for the interior steel structure, transferring the weight loads directly to the foundations is an impressive feat of engineering. The pieces for the façade are made from curved steel initially welded in the UAE before being exported to Saudi and welded on site. During this stage the structure would sag by as much as 30cm and each side of the façade had to be built up at exactly the same time to prevent any temporary imbalances. It is the only station in the network that will have underfloor cooling. The idea here is to prevent hot air from rising out of the ground. Plans are already in place to recycle and retreat wastewater and the KAFD station may add solar power systems in the future, something that will support Saudi Arabia’s vision to a scale-up renewable energy. The station also has a smart city-style ENVAC system to transport waste across KAFD to a site where garbage is compressed, treated, and segregated. With seven elevators and 26 escalators, as well as two skybridges, people flow is something that seems to have been adequately taken care of.  The station will also have a number of shops, two levels of parking, potential future baggage handling systems, and two prayer rooms to provide passengers with a range of services at the Riyadh Metro’s main station.

 

77 percent of the 176km network has been completed. The client intends to start staged operations and commissioning between late 2019 and early 2020. 

French manufacturer Alstom has shipped the last of 69 train sets that will be used for the Metro from its plant in Katowice, Poland. As part of the deal for the design and construction of Lines 4, 5, and 6 of Riyadh Metro, Alstom manufactured 69 Metropolis train sets that will run on the new routes. The firm will also provide a full integrated metro system for the above lines, including the Metropolis train sets, its signalling system Urbalis, and its power supply and energy recovery system, Hesop. 

High-tech manufacturer Airedale International Air Conditioning has won a £1-million ($1.27 million) export order to supply specialised air-conditioning units for the metro system. The Airedale “EasiCool” units destined for Saudi Arabia are designed for precision applications and will be used to cool the server rooms incorporated in the new metro stations currently under construction. The first phase of this development is due to open next year. 

Naming rights have been awarded for the Metro stations to a number of major economic entities such as Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group and UAE-headquartered Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls Co. The 10-year contracts were awarded following an auction that has raised more than $278m (SAR1bn). The main station located at the intersection of Al Olaya Street with King Abdullah Road will be named by Saudi Telecom Company (STC) through its winning bid. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) won the bid to name the station next to Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. Sabic Station will serve both Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University and Princess Noura University, as well many nearby secondary schools and commuters accessing King Khalid International Airport. It is estimated that up to 11 million people will pass through the Sabic Station annually. It is the first time the petrochemicals company has acquired naming rights for a project of this type. When opened, the new station will feature branding and a permanent exhibition that highlight how Sabic solutions are supporting environmental sustainability and important advancements in modern life. Bank Albilad, Saudi British Bank (Sabb), and Alinma Bank have also won naming rights for three Riyadh Metro stations that intersect with Al Olaya Street. Albilad’s metro station is at the intersection of Al Olaya Street with Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Street, while Sabb’s station meets the street at King Salman Road. Alinma Bank’s station intersects with the street at Mousa bin Nusair Street. Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group won the bid to name the station at the intersection of Al Olaya Street and Anas Bin Malik Road. Granada Investment Centre will name the station at the junction of Abu Jafar Al-Mansour Road with the Eastern Ring Road. Majid Al Futtaim Shopping Malls Co's City Centre Ishbiliyah brand will name the station where King Abdullah Road intersects with Al-Najah Street. 

The Fast Consortium, led by Spanish builder FCC has been tasked with building a 1.5-km-long extension and adding two more new stations to Line 4 of the Metro Project. The consortium includes global majors Samsung (South Korea), Strukton (Netherlands), Alstom (France) and Freysinnet (Saudi Arabia). The scope of work includes the construction of a 1.5-km-long viaduct and two elevated stations with direct access, via elevated footbridges, to terminals 1/2 and 3/4 of the international airport of the capital of Saudi Arabia. Line 4 of the Riyadh Metro will connect directly the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) with the King Khalid International Airport (KKIA), which makes it a key corridor for the development of Riyadh urban transport. The execution of the associated stations and infrastructures by the Fast Consortium will enable passengers to benefit from a direct transport link to the airport. The Fast Consortium is building Lines 5 and 6 of the Riyadh Metro, in addition to the Line 4, which is a milestone for Spanish engineering as it is the most important infrastructure contract in history for a company in the country. Currentlythe project is on-going, reaching milestones as significant as the electrification of the depot for Lines 4 and 6, which recently allowed for the first test of the trains in automatic mode. 

Capital Metro Company (CAMCO), the joint venture between RATP Dev - a subsidiary of RATP Group - and SAPTCO (Saudi Public Transport Company), has been awarded the flagship Riyadh Metro Operations & Maintenance (O&M) contract for Lines 1 and 2, over a period of 12 years, including mobilization. The first metro line - Line 1 or the Blue line on the Al-Olaya - Al-Batha corridor - covers 39 km and serves 25 stations. The second line - Line 2 or the Red line - runs along King Abdullah Road over a distance of 25 km and serves 15 stations. CAMCO will provide a comprehensive range of O&M services, including Metro Operation, Security, Passenger Assistance, Facility Management, Maintenance of Buildings (stations, Park & Rides, depots etc..) and the complete transit system, including Trains, Signalling, Telecommunication, Power Supply, Passenger Information, among others. 

Client has awarded the FLOW Consortium, which comprises of France’s Alstom, and Italy’s Ansaldo STS and Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, the 12-year operation and maintenance (O&M) contract for lines 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Metro. The 12-year contract covers the mobilization stage. The total value for the consortium totals about $2.9bn. The rolling stock and systems infrastructure maintenance accounts for more than $850m of the total contract. Alstom’s scope of work within the FLOW consortium will include the full maintenance of the transit system, including trains provided by Alstom for lines 4,5,6 and as well as those provided for line 3, as well as fixed installations such as tracks, signaling, communication, passenger information systems and power supply. The award of the O&M contract for lines 1 and 2 have yet to be confirmed. 

75% of the overall project has been completed. 

Client is likely to award the contracts to operate and maintain (O&M) the Metro’s six lines by mid-September 2018. Construction works on the metro are expected to be completed in late 2019. 

Client is yet to award the contracts to operate and maintain (O&M) six lines of the metro. 

Client has received bids for the consultancy package for a transit-oriented development (TOD) project. It is looking to develop TOD schemes around the key metro stations in order to maximise revenue from third party retailers. TODs typically comprise commercial, residential and retail spaces in proximity to transport hubs, designed to increase public transport usage. 

Test runs have begun for Line 4. Tests cover the railway system's performance in terms of power supply and signalling, using trains that have already been delivered for the project. Alstom has been conducting initial dynamic tests for the mega project's Line 4 Depot Test Track, on which the FAST Consortium is working. 

High-performance fasteners and rivets supplied by the UK division of SFS UK are being used in the construction of this Metro. The company has been commissioned to supply construction fasteners for three of the six maintenance depots serving the metro lines. The maintenance buildings are crucial to the smooth operation of the network’s state-of-the-art Siemens and Bombardier rolling stock. The building envelope contract for maintenance sheds for Lines One (North-South Blue Line) and Two (East-West Red Line) were secured by Arabian Profiles in Sharjah. It installed its aluminium Aluform standing seam with SFS’s SX3 A4 halter fasteners, and SXC sandwich panel fasteners for the Zamil panels on the walls. Dark Globe from Saudi Arabia secured the contract for the depot on Line Three (East-West Orange Line), with the main contractor, having chosen to purchase the fasteners directly. Here more than 550,000 of SFS AP14 painted rivets were specified by the architects for fixing the internal decking and 100,000 TDB-S fasteners were used to fix the decking into the 25-mm-thick steel. Kalzip fasteners were supplied on both lines. 

Solar panels will help power 81 of the stations in the Metro project. It has a total of 85 stations with four main stations and 81 typical stations. 20 percent of the power consumption of the typical stations to be supplied by solar photovoltaic panels. The Riyadh Metro comprises of six main lines with a total length of 176 kilometres. The installation of solar panels is already underway as part of its station construction programme. The electrical load of the Riyadh Metro project has been estimated at 468 MVA (MegaVolt Ampere). 

Test run is currently underway on the Orange line. 

Bids to name 10 of the Metro's 85 stations have reportedly been received by the client. It is now analyzing the offers, which will be submitted to a specialized committee and higher authorities before the final results are announced. Out of the 85 stations, 15 were eligible for national and international companies to bid for, out of which only 10 will be awarded naming rights by the client. Landmark stations, like Qasr Al Hokm, were kept out of the programme's scope, in order to prevent over-commercialisation of the network. Development work is steadily progressing for the Metro project. 

Sixty-eight percent of the project has been completed. The project is proceeding at a steady pace and according to its scheduled program and plans and by the end of this year there will be experimental operations on the rail tracks. The project is being carried out in 250 locations in all parts of the capital and there are seven maintenance centers monitoring them. Work in deep tunnels is almost over and work on bridges is 98 percent completed. There are 85 railway stations and 86 percent of the railway lines have been successfully laid out. Experimental tests have been carried out on 452 train coaches, of which 300 have been manufactured by three of the world’s largest train manufacturers. Preparations are underway for the operation and maintenance of the stations and facilities of the bus network and building of the Control and Operation Center for Public Transport in Riyadh. 

Tecon Specialized Engineering Solutions (TSES), a UAE-headquartered sub-contracting specialist, has been awarded a contract to provide emergency lighting services for three of the project’s lines. The contract is worth $6.7 million. 

A partnership between Strukton and Wagner Solar has been awarded a $3.8 million contract (SR14.25 million) to install almost 4,300 solar panels on a Riyadh Metro depot serving the rail system’s lines 4 and 6. The solar panels are expected to produce 2,452 megawatt hours per year, according to the contract provider Samsung C&T, which is undertaking the mechanical, electrical and plumbing works of Riyadh Metro’s line 4. Saudi Arabia has embarked on an ambitious track to utilize renewable energy to power the more than 80 stations along the six rail lines spanning more than 176 kilometers. 

UK's Serco Group is understood to be withdrawing its bid to operate and maintain this scheme since it believes that the tendering process is taking much longer than anticipated. 

Client has delayed the award of the contracts to operate and maintain the six lines. The contracts were expected to be awarded in October, following the completion of the bid evaluation process. However, it appears that the contract award will take more time than expected due to some changes required by the client. It is understood that the client is likely to select two or three firms to operate the six lines. 

An auction has been launched for private companies to name and advertise in select metro stops when the system opens in 2019, an initiative that could generate millions of dollars to help cover operational costs. Local and international companies licensed in the kingdom will be eligible to bid for naming and advertising rights at 10 stations. Another 10 stations could be offered at a later auction. Bids must be submitted by January 25, 2018 and winners will be announced by mid-2018. Promotional materials suggested winning companies would have their logos plastered throughout the stations: at turnstiles, elevators, passageways and shopping areas. 

Otis Saudi Arabia has been awarded a contract to supply (256) escalators, six moving walkways and (183) machine room-less elevators with travel speeds of up to 1m per second for Lines 4, 5 and 6. Otis's scope includes the provision of fully glazed panoramic elevators and heavy duty escalators specifically designed for public transportation. The contract covers all elevators and escalators within the three lines of the metro at all stations across Riyadh, two train depots and three car parking facilities over a total area of 72 kilometers. 

It is understood that firms bidding for contracts to operate and maintain this project are expected to be notified of the official results of the bidding process within weeks. Firms that have been short-listed for the contract include France's RATP Dev, Keolis; Italy/Japan's Ansaldo/Hitachi. Other bidders include UK's Serco and South Korea's Korail. Client has indicated it could award two to three O&M contracts for the metro's six lines. 

Three firms have emerged as front-runners for the contracts to operate and maintain (O&M) the metro's six lines. They are understood to include France's RATP Dev, Keolis; and Italy/Japan's Ansaldo/Hitachi. Client has forwarded the results of evaluation process to the Council of Economic & Development Affairs, whose final approval is required before the contracts are awarded. 

Client is finalizing the process of short-listing bidders for the contracts to operate and maintain the six lines. Three firms are understood to have been short-listed for the contracts and client is seeking final approval of the offers before awarding it to the preferred bidders. The list of short-listed companies are expected to be announced in October 2017. Firms that were prequalified to bid for the tender include France's RATP Dev, Keolis; Italy/Japan's Ansaldo/Hitachi; Singapore's SMRT; UK's Serco; South Korea's Korail; and Qatar's QDVC. Work on the implementation of the project is proceeding at steady steps according to the devised plans and programs. The completion rate of the project so far is 57 percent in all works and components of the project. 

Construction is in full swing at the Western Station, with the underground parking, ground surface, and elevated tracks nearing completion. It will offer not only light rail and BRT connections but also public spaces and services for use by local families and commuters. The design concept of the station building is a modern interpretation of the desert sand dunes, where a cluster of dune shaped, earth colored structures emerges from the site creating opportunities for station entries, light penetrations and pedestrian shading. The general orientation of the dunes is related to pedestrian approach and urban vantage points. The subterranean parking, concrete ground pad, and elevated tracks are in place. The curving roof forms of the station halls - inspired by sand dunes - will be built with a steel structure and a panelised cladding system. An area that was once an open air vegetables market now has a sense of arrival and event that is spurring development for blocks. The new station will take that one step further in the design of its outdoor gardens, which celebrates entertainment and light rail simultaneously. 

Work is progressing as per schedule. The project is currently 54% complete. 

Client is set to short-list bidders by October 2017 for the contracts to operate and manage (O&M) this scheme. This follows a final round of submissions from bidders, which is expected on May 04, 2017. Two to three firms are expected to operate and manage the project's six lines. 

German logistics firm Deutsche Post's DHL will deliver 47 Bombardier train sets from the production site in Sahagun, Mexico, to Saudi Arabia. Each train will be shipped by DHL's global forwarding division via the ocean freight network, and will arrive at the port of Dammam. DHL will also undertake the last-mile delivery of the train sets to the agreed delivery point by road transportation. The train sets will be shipped in phases. The shipment is part of the multi-year agreement between Bombardier Transportation and DHL, and the first trains under the agreement arrived on-time and without any quality issues, towards the end of 2016. The trains will be deployed on line 3, which is currently under construction. 

Alstom has handed over to client, the first of the (69) Metro train-sets, that will circulate on the lines 4, 5 and 6. The production of the metro train sets is well on track and Alstom has set to meet its deadline and deliver all the metro train-sets by end of 2018. Composed of two cars each, the metro train-set is 36 meter long and is able to accommodate 231 passengers. Each train features three classes: first, family and single class separated by a glass partition. The trains will offer passengers a high level of comfort, ergonomic seating, LED lighting and advanced passenger information systems. The interior and exterior aesthetical design has been developed as per client’s specific requirements. The exterior car body features painted stripes that indicate the color of the line the metro train-sets will circulate on. The metro trains are 100% motorized, allowing them to run on gradients of up to a 6% slope. The trains are designed to run on standard-gauge track at a top speed of 90 km/h. The trains have seen designed with the region’s climate in mind. One such feature is a more powerful air conditioning system, capable of delivering sufficient cooling capacity even in extreme heat. In addition, the bogies, traction drive, brakes and doors have been fitted with special elements in order to prevent the ingress of sand. 

Finland's Kone has been awarded a contract to supply (418) elevators and escalators for Line 3, which extends 41 kilometers across 22 stations. The contract entails 262 escalators and 156 elevators, all of which will be equipped with Kone's e-link monitoring systems. Value of the contract has not been disclosed. 

The project is on schedule to start operations in 2019. Walkways will be designed along the metro lines with trees and street furniture. 25 car parks will be built where people can use their cars to reach the nearest station. The metro will feature a powerful air conditioning system adaptable to extreme heat. For easier orientation, the advanced passenger information system delivers real time information to passengers through screens and loudspeakers. The interior design of the trains include high comfort seating with elements of traditional architecture inspired by the region designed by award-winning designers. 

France's Alstom has unveiled the first series production train units for this project in a visit by the client to see the second completed train off the production line in Katowice, Poland, after the first unit was dispatched to Saudi Arabia by sea on January 10, 2017. Alstom is supplying 69 Metropolis automated aluminum two-car train sets, each 36-meter-long and suitable for accommodating up to 231 passengers, for lines 4, 5 and 6 (Yellow, Green and Purple). Alstom's metro trains are 100% motorized, allowing them to run on track with slope gradients of up to 6%, and on the flat are designed to run on standard-gauge track at top speed of 90 kilometers per hour. Presently, three train sets are being tested and another eight metro train sets are currently in the production phase. The complete order of metro train sets along with the infrastructure, is scheduled to be delivered by end of 2018. Alstom is also deploying the tracks with Appitrack, a mechanized solution which allows to install tracks three to four times faster than with traditional methods, reducing logistics, CO2 emissions, noise, dust and waste, and limiting the disturbance caused to road traffic. 

The project has passed the three million milestone less than a year after it achieved one million safe work hours without lost-time incident (LTI). The project is due to complete in 2018, and operations are scheduled to commence in 2019. 

It is understood that Salini Impregilo has completed the tunnel excavation work for Line 3 in this development. Line 3, or the Orange Line, is more than 40 kilometers long, with about 11 kilometers of that length underground, excavated by both TBM and the 'cut and cover' method. The end of work was celebrated in presence of Riyadh Governor at the Qasr Al Hoqm Downtown Station. Located near the Riyadh governor's palace in the heart of the city, the Downtown Station will be one of the iconic stations, with two underground metro lines passing through it. Covering 20,000 square meters, it was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta together with One Works & Crew. Its entrance will be covered by a massive inverted cone made of stainless steel that will provide shade for passengers and channel sunlight into the underground station. 

Client has received offers for a contract to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for the metro. An award is expected in 2017. 

ACTS has been awarded the contract to carry out testing and analysis of construction materials to be used for the Riyadh Metro Lines 1 and 2. ACTS will operate an 800 square meter laboratory, fully equipped with state-of-the-art field testing equipment to investigate and assess related construction materials, which include concrete, soil, asphalt, shotcrete and grout. ACTS will also integrate the use of its 'Online Concrete Pouring & Quality Control System', a sophisticated quality control web-based programme to track, evaluate and capture data for construction materials testing. 

Client has extended the bid submission deadline for the contract to operate and maintain the Riyadh Metro to December 15, 2016. Project is on track to meet the the 2019 completion deadline. The completed metro network will be 176.5 km long (7.8 km as a common section for Line 4 and 6), with underground, elevated and at-grade sections. It will have a total of 85 stations and 25 park-and-ride locations. 

The project is 45% complete, with work in progress on 225 locations along the routes of the metro and bus network. More than 16 kilometers of tracks have been laid and over 45 kilometers of the project's bridges have been installed. About 91% of the electrical work is complete, after the establishment of four new stations and enhancement of eight existing ones. The metro stations will be named considering their location and important landmarks nearby. However, some stations' naming rights will be sold in an auction. 

Italy's Salini Impregilo has reached another milestone in the construction of Line 3 of this development, with a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) arriving at the Downtown Station site. The TBM, named Jazlah, has now excavated 4.34 kilometers of tunnel and is close to ending its 5.35-kilometer journey underground. The machine has a diameter of 10.16 meters, a length of 100 meters and a weight of 1,300 tons. Salini Impregilo is leader of Arriyadh New Mobility consortium that was awarded the deal to deliver Line 3 in 2013. The line, which is also known as the Orange Line, is more than 40 kilometers long, with about 11 kilometers underground. The tunnels will be excavated by TBMs and cut-and-cover. Once completed, Line 3 will have (22) stations. Located near the Riyadh governor's palace in the heart of the city, the Downtown Station will be among the most iconic, with two lines passing through it. Covering 20,000 square meters, it is being designed by Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta. Its entrance will be covered by a massive inverted cone made of stainless steel, which will provide shade for travelers and channel sunlight into the underground station. 

It is understood that this project has been scaled back in size due to budget cuts, though it is still progressing. The current oil prices have caused adjustments of scopes and timelines over the past year, which includes scaling down the original plans for the Metro. Bentley Systems is currently providing the design software for this development. 

It is understood that Siemens has presented the first driver-less Inspiro metro train for Metro Line 1 (Blue Line) to representatives from the client at the InnoTrans exhibition in Berlin. Siemens is supplying 45 four-car trains for Line 1 and 29 two-car trains for Line 2 (Red Line) together with automatic train control and electrification systems for the two lines. The 75.7-meter-long aluminum-bodied four-car trains are designed to accommodate up to 522 passengers - 123 of them seated - across first, family and second-class accommodation. Each car has six sets of sliding doors and two HVAC units, which are designed to operate in ambient temperatures as high as 55 degrees centigrade. The trains also feature LED interior lighting and full-width gangways. Three of the vehicles in each four-car train are motorized and each motor bogie is driven by two self-ventilated 1TB 20 series traction motors, which are controlled without speed sensors. Siemens has tested the performance of all electrical equipment using sand and dust from the Riyadh region to simulate the condition of 750V dc third-rail trains. The interior and exterior elements were developed by Siemens in collaboration with French design bureau Avant Premiere to have no visible screw heads or fixing points inside the train - as per the requirements of the client. Two trains are currently undergoing tests at Siemens test facility at Wildenrath in northwest Germany, ahead of the scheduled delivery of the whole fleet to Riyadh in 2017-18. 

Client has announced a new traffic detour in central Riyadh to build a metro station in the area. Work for the station on the project's Blue Line (Olaya-Batha axis) commenced on July 25, 2016. The detour, located at the intersection of two major avenues next to the Kingdom Tower, entails closing the road for traffic at the intersection both westward and eastward, but traffic movement between Olaya Street and Musaeid Al-Anqari Street will continue as a substitute arrangement. The detour provides alternative passage for drivers and commuters coming from the west and heading to the east across Orouba Road. They can turn southward and then head east through Khalid Bin Al-Waleed Street in front of Al-Hammadi Hospital, head north through Al-Anqari Street to return to Orouba Road. Those traveling from east to west across Orouba Road can go northwest through Al-Anqari Street, turn to west across Prince Sultan Bin Salman Street and then turn southward across Olaya Street to get back on Orouba Road. The new detour provided a set of traffic improvements at site, which included the removal of traffic light at the intersection of Olaya Street and Orouba Road, reducing duration of the traffic light at the intersection of King Fahd Road and Orouba Road to mitigate congestion and waiting times at these points. These steps are expected to increase inflow of vehicles around the project site. Client has also organized a field visit to the work-site, led by a specialized team of project officials to inform residents and owners of commercial activities, adjacent to the site, on the traffic detour, temporary procedures and regulations associated with it, in order to ensure safety, smooth flow of traffic and continuity of trading during the project implementation. 

Germany's Thyssenkrupp has been awarded a contract to supply (251) elevators and (390) escalators for Lines 1 and 2 of this project. Under the terms of deal, Thyssenkrupp will take responsibility for the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of the (641) units. 

A pair of Terex all-terrain cranes have supported the installation of a launching gantry for one of this project's rail bridges. Two Terex AC 500-2 models, owned and operated by Mohammad Abdullah Al Areedh, were enlisted by the BACS consortium to raise the gantry's 142-tonne beams 16.75 meters into the air. The lift had to be conducted within confined space and time parameters; surrounding roads had to be closed, creating the need for urgency. The Terex units were configured with boom lengths of 37.9 meters and outfitted with 180 tons of counterweight. Both cranes were augmented with Terex Sideway Superlift (SSL) telescopic boom attachments. The cranes worked in tandem to lift each of the gantry's beams to supporting bases, at a radii of 16 meters and 18 meters, respectively. It took a seven-strong crew 10 days to complete the work. 

It is understood that Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) is looking at ways to hasten this project in order to finish the public transport scheme as scheduled. CCC is confident to catch up on delays to complete the project on time, although some parts are quite delayed and could slip behind the completion date. CCC is working on a contract, which is valued at about $7 billion, in a consortium with US-based contractor Bechtel and local Almabani. 

Client has announced the completion of tunnel excavation works for Line 5 (Green Line). Line 5 runs 13 kilometers underground with a bored tunnel along King Abdulaziz Road. It features 11 deep underground stations, in addition to two transfer stations with the Red and Blue lines. 

Chicago Pneumatic along with its official distributor Roots Group Arabia is playing a vital role in powering the construction of this metro. Eighty robust and versatile stationary generators from Chicago Pneumatic are involved in the project in a big way. These machines are currently being used to help construct Lines 1 and 2 of the scheme, where they are powering a large variety of applications, including road and tunnel lighting, site office electrification, electric power tools and water coolers. The generators required for construction of the metro system needed to run continuously for between 24 and 36 hours with limited idle time, and withstand the high ambient temperatures experienced in the Middle East. Roots Group Arabia managed to gain the buy-in and trust of BACS consortium by demonstrating the excellent durability and performance of Chicago Pneumatic's CPSG stationary generators. This, in addition to the comprehensive after-sales support provided by Roots Group, resulted in an order of $975,000 being placed in June 2015 to acquire a total of 80 CPSG generators. The order included (20 Nos.) CPSG185 (185 KW/235 KVA) models, (30 Nos.) CPSG40 (40 KW/50 KVA) models, and another (30 Nos.) CPSG18 (18 KW/22.5 KVA) models. The generators have been built to operate in both high temperature and high humidity conditions, and come equipped with tough canopies featuring UV panels that protect the engine and control panel. The project is currently 40% complete. Work is progressing as per schedule, with the three lines due to open at the end of 2018 or early in 2019. 

Client has released tender documents for the operation and maintenance (O&M) contract on this project. Prequalified firms are understood to include Singapore's SMRT; UK's Serco; South Korea's Korail; France's RATP, Keolis; Italy/Japan's Ansaldo/Hitachi; and Qatar's QDVC. Submission date for bids is mid-October 2016. It is likely that the client will select two or three O&M firms to operate and maintain the six lines. An award is expected in 2017. 

UAE-based Emirates Building Systems, a subsidiary of Dubai Investments, which is a leading, diversified investments conglomerate listed on the Dubai Financial Market, has been awarded a contract to provide steel structures for the second phase of this development. 

Firms that have been prequalified to bid for the operation and maintenance (O&M) contract of this under-construction scheme are anticipating the release of a tender possibly before the end of April 2016. Prequalified firms are understood to include Singapore's SMRT; UK's Serco; South Korea's Korail; France's RATP, Keolis; Italy/Japan's Ansaldo/Hitachi; and Qatar's QDVC. It is likely that the client will select two or three O&M firms to operate and maintain the six lines. A contract award is expected in 2017. 

Indian engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced the achievement of a major safety milestone during the construction of key facilities on this scheme, clocking over 15 million safe man hours without lost time injuries (LTI). L&T is building ballast-less tracks for lines 1 and 2 on a design-and-build basis. It involves construction of 62.86 kilometers of double ballast-less tracks in tunnels, viaducts, at-grade sections and three depots. 

A special excavator, Thaqeba, has been assigned to dig tunnels as part of the first station project on Al-Olaya/Al-Batha line, which will see the completion of 50% of deep tunnels. The entire project is currently 29% complete and progressing as per schedule. The scheme has seven mega excavators to dig tunnels around the clock. Each tunnel is 90 to 120 meters long with a diameter of 10 meters. The underground tunnels are 41.7% of the total length of the project. This includes the 12.9-kilometer King Abdulaziz line from King Abdullah Road to King Abdulaziz Historical Center. About 3.3 kilometers of King Abdullah Road line will be underground, while the middle part of 17.3-kilometer Al-Olaya/Al-Batha line will consist of one tunnel that will extend from Al-Murooj neighborhood to Qasr Al-Hukum area. 

It is understood that 30% of construction has been completed on Package 2, Line 3 of the metro, which is the longest line of 41 kilometer. Client is also planning to launch a tender for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the metro with months. The O&M contract is likely to be awarded in 2017. 

Saudi Electricity Company will provide 700 megawatts of electricity for this project. 

The first train in this project has been built. The scheme is being supervised by the client and consists of (190) trains currently being made by three of the world's largest manufacturers - Siemens, Bombardier and Alstom. A Saudi delegation visited Siemens in Germany to check services, equipment, component specifications and systems of the units. The train has (470) cabins with a capacity to handle 251 to 522 passengers per trip. Each train is equipped with electronic display screens and visual information systems to communicate with passengers. Surveillance cameras are also in place. 

It is understood that several hundreds of Doosan construction machines have been deployed in this project, according to its local distributor, Saudi Diesel Equipment Company (SDEC). The machines include excavators, 5t DL300A and 7t DL420A-7 wheel loaders, dump trucks and Everdigm-powered, Doosan-branded hydraulic breakers. The fleet is largely involved in the initial stages of excavation and materials transfer, including on the 17km of open-trench section of the combined 53 km of underground line in the network. 

It is understood that the steep fall in oil prices have had no effect on the implementation of this project, which continues to progress according to schedule. German firm Pfaff-Silberblau has recently been awarded a contract to deliver the lifting systems for all of the trains. 

Work is progressing rapidly, with 26% of the development already completed, as well as 75% of the major stations also finished. The most difficult stages of this project have already been completed. There are 31,000 workers involved in the construction, including 7,000 engineers and administrators. This number can be increased during the next phases if required. Currently, construction is being carried out on the principle track and 85 branch stations. These include the Qaser Al-Hakum station in King Abdullah Financial Center, the Western station and the Fifth Hall station at King Khaled International Airport. Work is also underway on construction of the operations and control center, overnight shelters, maintenance facilities for every line, transfer services and electrical generation stations. 

Alstom has commenced the production of train sets for the three lines of this project. The 69 Metropolis train sets for lines 4, 5 and 6 of the Metro network are being manufactured at Alstom's Katowice plant in Poland, scheduled for delivery to the client in 2017. The Metropolis trains designed for the scheme are 36 meters long and divided into two cars, featuring first class, family and single area divisions. They are driver-less and capable of running on slopes of up to 6% in gradient. In addition to the train sets, Alstom is also providing its Urbalis CBTC signaling solution, the power supply and Alstom's HESOP energy recovery system. All these sub-systems have also been optimized together so as to reduce energy consumption. A full-size mock-up of Riyadh Metropolis train set will soon be unveiled to the public.
Contact Person (Alstom): Mr. Mahfoud Ifren (Project Manager). 

US' Dayton Superior Corporation has been awarded a contract to provide standard and custom steel forming systems for Phase 1 of this development. These forming systems, from Symons by Dayton Superior, will be used to form the straddle bent columns and caps as well as hammerhead columns and caps for the Metro. The straddle bents will be fully supported by a custom column-hung support system allowing the self-spanning forming systems to extend as much as 25 meters over live traffic. The entire system transfer all loads to the columns, thus leaving a clear path for traffic and avoiding lengthy construction-related delays. 

Client has announced the arrival of giant drilling machine called Jazlah, which is used for digging tunnels for this project. Jazlah is the fifth of seven machines needed for the scheme. The machine has begun work at the terminal wall located at depth of 25 meters underground. The machine will bore the tunnel for orange line from south of Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium in Malaz district. After penetrating the terminal wall, Jazlah continued its way down, digging a tunnel with a length of 6.5 kilometers on the orange line, which is 40.7 kilometers long. The project is currently around 24% complete. Some (800) engineers are working at the site. 

The project is currently understood to be 21% complete and has experienced no delays. Full delivery is expected as scheduled in 2019. 

FAST Consortium has announced that the 'Sanah' tunnel boring machine (TBM) has arrived at Salah Al-Din Station. This marks the completion of 1.2 kilometers of the TBM's designated 5 kilometer on Line 5, also known as Green Line. The route drilled so far stretches from the Ministry of Education to Salah Al-Din Station, which is located between Orouba Road and King Abdullah Road. The Sanah unit, which began drilling on June 30, 2015, will continue to work on the northern section of Line 5 until it reaches Riyadh Airbase Roundabout. At this point, it will meet FAST Consortium's second TBM, 'Dhafrah'. Sanah TBM is a 100-meter-long machine and weighs in the region of 2,000 tonnes. It is operated by approximately 100 people and drills around 20 meters per day. The TBM is specifically designed to deal with local soil specifications in Riyadh. The unit installs the lining of tunnel as it drills, meaning that only the tracks and driver-less-train systems have to be installed once boring is complete. 

The client and contractors are currently in discussions on scaling back some non-essential associated works for one station at the $5.9 billion Line 3 of this scheme. These associated works, which are currently being reviewed for value engineering purposes, could include small commercial areas only at one station of Line 3. The contractor has stated that it is too early to quantify the value that will be saved by submitting certain scope of the projects to a new value engineering exercise. Line 3 stretches 40.9 kilometers from the Madina al-Munawara to Amir Saad bin Abdul to Rahman al-Awal Road. Client plans to deploy the most advanced technology solutions for the project. These would include a centralized transportation control center for all customer contact and an operational control center for each metro line. 

The railway business unit of Indian infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro has been awarded a $161 million design and build contract on this project. Scope of work under the terms of contract includes the construction of ballast-less tracks for Riyadh Metro Line 1 and Line 2. It will involve construction of 62.86 kilometers of double ballast-less tracks in tunnels, viaducts, at-grade sections and three depots. Work is scheduled for completion in (40) months. 

The High Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD), in cooperation with the Department of Traffic, has partially opened this week the newly constructed tunnel along Salahudding Road at the intersection of Makkah Road. It is one of the mega-projects being implemented that coincides with Riyadh Metro. It forms part of the Green Line of Riyadh Metro within the King Abdul Aziz Project for Public Transport. Work is also in progress to complete the remaining part, including the implementation of services, sidewalks, lighting, pedestrian walkways and parking areas. Work extends for some 1,500 meters and includes the construction of an 800-meter-long subway. It consists of three tracks from the main road and through services of three tracks, with four at the confluence leading to Makkah Road. It is linked with tunnel traffic management systems based along Abu Bakr and Al-Urouba at Riyadh Air Base. 

The consortium led by construction company Bechtel has commenced tunneling on Line 1 of this development.
Site Office Tel: (+966-11) 5105600.
The consortium, which includes local company Almabani General Contractors, Middle East-based Consolidated Contractors Company and Germany's Siemens AG, is responsible for the $10 billion contract, including design, construction, train cars, signaling, electrification and integration of Lines 1 and 2. Work includes (39) stations, two of which are key interchange stations; Olaya Station, situated in the center of Riyadh at the intersection of Lines 1 and 2, and King Abdullah Financial District Station, located to the north of Line 1. In total, seven tunnel boring machines will be deployed by the Bechtel-led team to dig and construct at least 35 kilometers of tunnels beneath the capital city. Construction work is expected to be completed by mid-2016. 

A giant tunnel boring machine (TBM) has been launched for this scheme, which would speed up the metro work. Seven TBMs have been manufactured especially for the project and will create tunnels of 35 kilometers in length at a depth of 30 meters. Construction is currently underway at several important locations, including the stations in Al-Olaya, Qasr Al-Hakam, King Abdullah Financial Center and at King Khalid International Airport. Work has commenced on parking lots, infrastructure and concrete rings for drilling machines and bridges, which is taking place on the routes of rapid bus system that will operate alongside the metro, across several major areas in the city. 

Client has invited World-Class Operators, specialized in operating and maintaining unattended transit systems and related facilities (stations, depots), to apply for prequalification for the Metro Operation and Maintenance Tender. Interested Operators may send a request for Prequalification Documents at: metro@arriyadh.net
The deadline for submission of Application and Prequalification Documents is on June 01, 2015 at 12PM. 

Byrne Looby, the Irish consulting engineer specializing in geo-technical work, has been awarded a contract covering utilities diversion and tunnel design for Line 5. 

Malaysia's Eversendai Corporation has been awarded two new contracts worth $66.5 million on this project. The first contract, worth an estimated $55 million, involves carrying out the steel works and cladding for the East, North and South depots of lines 1 and 2. The second contract, worth an estimated $11.5 million, is to design, supply, fabricate and install a conversion hangar in Riyadh, used to service aircraft. 

10% of construction work has been completed. 

Work on the tunnel for the first line of this project is expected to commence after two months, with the arrival of spare parts of the tunnel boring machine (TBM) imported from Germany. A manhole of about 30 meters deep with a diameter of 10 meters or more has been dug at King Abdulaziz Road. Work on the tunnel will commence from bottom of the manhole. Equipment will be brought in and the tunnel has to be dug horizontally under the ground. 

Spain’s Indra has been appointed to work on entire ticketing and access control systems on this scheme. The deal is worth $314 million and will be completed over a period of (54) months. The contract also includes provision of maintenance and assistance services for 10 years. It is understood that the project is 10 percent ahead of schedule. The drilling has already extended 218 metre east and west. 

Local Al-Toukhi Company for Industry, Trading & Contracting has signed a contract on September 30, 2014 with Saudi Electricity Company - Central Region for the construction of New South East and New North East substations located in the Qurtuba and Malaz areas to supply power for this scheme. 

The first of seven tunnel boring machines being built for this project will arrive in Saudi Arabia by end of this year. Work is already underway at a number of key sites, with large trenches being dug in several locations as launch sites for the tunnel boring machines. Buildings on the site at one of the four iconic stations - the Downtown station linking lines one and three - have been cleared and excavation works have started that will move down to a depth of 30 meters. Diversions have also been put into place in roads across the city center with a view to work starting on diverting utilities so tunneling work can take place. Other works that are already underway include ground works for the station that will be built connecting the Metro to King Khalid International Airport at the new Terminal 5, which is also under construction. 

Canadian manufacturer of planes and trains, Bombardier Transportation, has revealed the new Innovia Metro 300 design for Line 3 (Orange), which has reached its final design stage on-time. Bombardier will supply 47 custom-designed two-car metros for the scheme. The Innovia Metro 300 vehicles deliver short travel times, high acceleration performance and train braking energy recovery. The trains are lightweight and robust, and boast reduced energy consumption and low life-cycle costs. The car bodies will be constructed from recyclable aluminum with a steel under-frame and composite end cap. 

Local Nesma & Partners has been awarded three of the geo-technical packages on lines one and two of this scheme. Nesma will carry out the packages under ACT's recently-announced geo-technical contract. The first, to be delivered alongside Vinci-owned Soldata, will see it carry out monitoring of tunnels and underground station works on Line 1 covering 2 kilometers of underground tunnels. The second package will see it handling precise leveling and measurement of permanent reference markers on Lines 2 and 3 alongside Canadian partner Navmatica, and the third will see it working with Navmatica again on a four-month contract to carry out 3D mobile mapping for both lines. It is the first time that 3D mobile mapping will be used in the Kingdom. 

Client has appointed UK's Lloyd's Register as Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) for this project. Lloyd's Register will be responsible for delivering the quality safety assessment. This will involve regular assessments and audits of safety plans, processes, activities and documentation at every stage of the system's construction in Riyadh, from detailed design through to the start of operations in 2018. Local Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS), a consulting organization in the field of construction materials and geo-technical engineering, has been awarded one of the sub-contract packages to carry out geo-technical and geo-physical works on Metro Lines 1 and 2. ACTS will allocate its geo-technical engineering experts to oversee the drilling and logging works and to conduct testing and analysis along two of the six metro lines being constructed. In addition, six drilling rigs and a range of equipment have also been mobilized for the scheme, with a total of 65 persons already deployed on site. 

Saudi Electricity Company has signed contracts worth $683 million to supply power for this development, which is currently under construction. The seven contracts are to build stations and lay cables for the rail system. 

France's Bureau Veritas has been awarded a contract to provide independent technical oversight of the design and build work carried out by the US' Bechtel-led BACS consortium, which is working on package 1. 

Construction works have commenced on this development. The project would be operational within (48) months. 

It is understood that groundbreaking works have commenced on this development. A high-level committee has been set up to solve all problems facing its implementation, including traffic problems. Digging work commenced in five places on April 03, 2014, including for the metro station at King Khaled International Airport, Al-Olaya Station, its control center and railway maintenance station. Al-Olaya Station, covering an area of 28,000 square meters, will have shopping centers, service facilities and car parking area. It is designed to serve 400,000 passengers daily. The airport station will be located at the fifth terminal, which is being constructed. There will be three stations linking the airport with King Abdullah Financial Center. The control and operation center will be located near the maintenance station, west of Princess Noura University. 

Bechtel is currently working on an 8-month design period as part of this scheme. Following the design period, the company will start work on a four-year construction element, which will be followed by a four-month testing and commissioning period ahead of the metro opening in 2019. 

It is understood that this project will be completed on time as contracts have been signed, land plots have been earmarked, and manpower and equipment for construction work have been set up. The metro is expected to begin with 202 cars and may be increased to 338 to meet possible future demand. It will have a daily capacity of 1.16 million passengers initially and may be increased to 3.6 million passengers in the future. 

Traffic management has become a major challenge for the consortiums working on this project. The BACS is currently mobilising for the scheme. It is setting up temporary offices and working on leases for permanent offices, looking for compounds for staff and labour, and setting up yards for construction work. It has also begun to engage with other stakeholders in Riyadh to ensure utility and traffic diversions are well-planned and executed. 

The Bechtel-led BACS consortium that is working on lines 1 and 2 of this project expects to start tendering sub-contracts in early 2014, with the early works packages and then other general packages. Contracts are expected to be awarded before the end of first half of 2014. 

UK-based consultancy firm Atkins has been awarded a $120 million contract to handle the lead design of Package 3 of this development. The firm will be responsible for design of the $8 billion package being built by the FAST consortium. Atkins will deploy a multidisciplinary team of around 200 specialist staff on the project made up of staff based in Riyadh, UAE, Bangalore, Hong Kong and UK. 

Germany's Siemens has confirmed that the value of its rolling stock contract for this project is $2.1 billion. Siemens will be providing 74 of its Inspiro type metro vehicles, as well as the electrification systems and signalling technology to allow for driver-less operation of the trains. It is also responsible for system integration of the 63 kilometres making up the lines. Its signalling and train control technology will allow trains to operate at 90-second intervals, which will allow the system to handle 21,000 passengers an hour. 

Samsung C&T, which is part of the FAST consortium, has announced that its share of the estimated $8 billion package 3 of this development is likely to be bigger than it initially envisaged. It has initially valued its portion of the contract at being worth just below $2 billion. However, following the signing of a contract with the client, it is understood that its portion is now worth over $2.22 billion. The FAST consortium is expected to employ up to 15,000 staff on its portion of the $23.5 billion network. It is building 64.6 kilometres of the 176 kilometres of Metro lines - 29.8 kilometres of this will be on viaducts, 26.6 kilometres will be underground and 8.2 kilometres overground. It is also building 25 of the 85 stations. 

A joint venture of US-based Hill International and Louis Berger has been awarded a $245 million project management consultancy (PMC) deal to manage lines 4, 5 and 6 of the metro being built by FAST consortium led by Spain’s FCC. 

A joint venture of US' Parsons International, France's Egis and Systra has been awarded a $562 million deal to provide project management consultancy (PMC) contract for three out of 6 lines on this scheme. The consortium will oversee line 1 and 2 as well as BACS consortium building Line 3. The project is set to start on site in 2014 and will take 5 years to deliver. 

Suppliers have released details of the rolling stock and systems it will supply for this scheme. France's Alstom is part of the FAST consortium, which won the $7.82 billion contract for lines 4, 5 and 6. Alstom's share of the contract is worth about $1.6 billion. Alstom will supply 69 of its driver-less Metropolis trains, its Urbalis signalling system, an energy recovery system, and Appitrack fast-track laying technology, which is understood to install tracks three times faster than traditional methods. Each of the trains has two cars that are 36 metres long and 2.71 metre wide. Canada's Bombardier will supply systems and trains for the Arriyadh New Mobility Consortium (ANM) that secured the $5.9 billion contract for delivery of Line 3. Bombardier's share of the contract is worth about $289 million. The contract involves Bombardier supplying 47 of its Innovia Metro 300 two-car driver-less trains equipped with Mitrac Propulsion technology. The electrical and mechanical equipment for the driver-less metro system will be delivered by Italy's Ansaldo STS and Bombardier. Germany's Siemens will provide the systems and rolling stock for the BACS consortium that won the $9.45 billion contract for Lines 1 and 2. 

It is understood that contracts worth $22 billion have been awarded on this scheme. A group led by US' Bechtel has been awarded a $9.4 billion contract to build two lines, while a consortium led by Spain's Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas has been awarded a $7.8 billion contract to build three lines. Italy's Ansaldo STS, which heads a group, has won a $5.2 billion deal. Design work will commence immediately and construction works are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2014. The project is expected to take about 5 years to complete. 

Front-runners have emerged for the three project management packages on this scheme. A joint venture of US' Parsons International and France's Egis is expected to win two project management packages, with US joint venture of Louis Berger and Hill International front-runner to win the third package. 

It is understood that three consortiums have been short-listed for the main contract on this scheme. Spain’s FCC Construction heads up the consortium known as FAST consisting of the following companies;
France’s Alstom Transport , South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corporation , Germany’s Alpine, Netherlands’ Strukton Civiel Projecten , France’s Setec and Spain’s Tecnica Y Proyectos.
US’ Bechtel leads the consortium named BACS including the following companies;
France’s Vinci Construction Grand Projects , Germany’s Siemens, Local Al-Mabani General Contractors,/ Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company and US’ Aecom.
Italy’s Ansaldo STS leads a consortium named Arriyadh New Mobility Group consisting of the following companies;
Italy’s Ansaldobreda , Italy’s Impregilo , India’s Larsen & Toubro, Local Nesma & Partners Contracting, UK’s Hyder Consulting, US’ WorleyParsons and Spain’s IDOM.
FAST consortium is understood to be the frontrunner for Lines 4, 5 and 6. BACS consortium is the front runner for Lines 1 and 2, while Arriyadh New Mobility Group is the front runner for Line 3. A formal award is expected to be made in mid- July 2013. The final decision will be taken by the supreme council, chaired by the Riyadh governor Prince Khalid Bin Bandar. 

UK’s MHP Communications has been appointed to provide global strategic communications support for this scheme. MHP has designed a multi-disciplinary communications programme and will provide strategic counsel, digital and traditional media insight, as well as graphic design. 

UK's Zaha Hadid Architects has been awarded the design consultancy contract on this scheme. Other bidders include: Denmark's Henning Larsen Architects and US' HOK. The contract include designing 20,434 square metre land area of the project, which will have (6) platforms spread over (4) public floors and will include two levels of underground car parking. Other stations on the rail network will be designed by Norway's Snohetta and Germany's Gerber Architekten. The air-conditioned building will feature glass train pipes similar to the stations on the Jubilee Line in London. It will also be linked to the surrounding district by pathways and sky-bridges and create a dynamic, multi-functional public space. Externally the facade is described as a three dimensional lattice defined by a sequence of opposing sine waves. 

It is understood that bids have been submitted for the project management contracts on this scheme. It is expected to have three project management deals for the scheme. CH2M Hill will handle the project management tenders. 

Bids have been received for the five main construction contracts on this scheme. Bidders include:
- France’s Vinci Construction Grand Projects / Germany’s Siemens / Local Al-Mabani General Contractors / Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company / US’ Aecom
- Spain’s FCC Construction / France’s Alstom Transport / South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corporation / Germany’s Alpine / Netherlands’ Strukton Civiel Projecten / France’s Setec / Spain’s Tecnica Y Proyectos
- Spain’s Ansaldo / Switzerland’s Stadler / Italy’s Impregilo / India’s Larsen & Toubro / Local Mohammed Ali Al-Swailem Company (Masco) / Spain’s IDOM. 

Client has appointed US’ CH2M Hill as the project management office (PMO) for the scheme and the firm is currently preparing to issue tender documents for the project management consultancy (PMC) work on the rail scheme. 

Client has once again extended the bids submission deadline from the previous date of January 30, 2013. 

The deadline to submit bids for the DB contract has been further extended from the previous deadline of January 05, 2013. This has been done after companies requested more time to prepare bids. 

It is understood that client has extended the deadline to submit bids for the main contract from the previous deadline of December 01, 2012. 

Client has set a deadline to submit bids for the five main construction contracts on this scheme. 

It is understood that the client is preparing to invite four consortiums to bid for the main construction packages on this scheme. The scheme is to be tendered through several designs and build packages, which will include supply of rolling stock. Four pre-qualified consortiums are:
1) France’s Vinci Construction Grand Projects / Germany’s Siemens / Local Al-Mabani General Contractors / Athens-based Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) and US’ Aecom
2) Local Al-Rahji Consortium – Al Rahji Holding / Local Al-Arrab Contracting Company / Spain’s Obrascon Huarte Lain (OHL) / Turkey’s Yapi Merkezi Insaat / South Korea’s GS Engineering & Construction / Canada’s Bombardier / Local Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company / UK’s Mott MacDonald and US’ Parsons Brinckerhoff
3) Spain’s FCC Construction / France’s Alstom Transport / South Korea’s Samsung C&T Corporation / Germany’s Alpine / Netherlands Strukton Civiel Projecten / France’s Setec / Spain’s Tecnica Y Proyectors
4) Austria’s Strabag; Italy’s Ansaldo STS – Train Control and Ansaldo Breda – Train Makers; Switzerland’s Stadler; Belgium’s SA; Local Al-Ali Al-Suwailim Group; India’s Larsen & Toubro; Britain’s Hyder Consulting; US’ WorleyParsons and Spain’s Edom.
Four consortiums should submit their financial and technical bids within four months. Scheme is planned to be split into several work packages that can be carried out by a number of consortiums. Four consortiums have been prequalified for the whole metro project, but the construction packages will be split into different packages. Client is expected to shortlist prequalified firms to bid for the packages to design and build lines 1, 2 and 3 and will invite prequalified firms to tender lines 4,5 and 6 at a later date. The first line will rum in a North-South direction alongside and under Olaya and Bat’ha Streets. Line starts at Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Street and ends at Hayer Road. It will run for 44-kilometre and contain (39) stations. Second line will run along King Abdullah Road from King Saud University and the Eastern Sub centre. It will run approximately 22.5-kilometre and will contain (13) stations. Third line will run alongside and under parts of Al-Madinah and Al-Munawwarah roads, which will be about 45-kilometres long with (32) stations. Line four will run north to the south alongside Prince Saud Bin Muhammed Bin Muqrin Street, from the King Abdullah Financial District and the terminal at King Khaled International Airport. The line will be about 32-kilometre long and contain (13) stations. Fifth line will run in the North-South direction alongside and under King Abdulaziz Financial District and Bat’ha Street. It will be about 26-kilometres long line and will have (25) stations. Sixth line will run in an East-West direction along Abulrahman Bin Aouf Street and Shiekh Hassan Bin Hussein Bin Ali Street. It will extend between Prince Saad Bin Abdulrahman Street and King Abdullah Road. It will have an approximate length of 12-kilometres and contain (9) stations. 

Bids have been examined from companies who have submitted pre-qualifications for this project. (391) Companies from (50) countries applied during the pre-qualification process. A shortlist of consortiums will be drawn-up once the pre-qualification process is completed. Client has issued a directive to complete the qualification procedure and other formalities quickly. It is understood that trains will operate without a driver. Air-conditioning system will work both inside the trains and also at the stations. Communication system has been designed to cater people with special needs. Train stations are also designed to facilitate easy movement between train and other means of transport through public parking facilities to cars as well as supporting facilities for the network such as maintenance and warehouse stations, offices and depots for the trains and control centers. 

It is understood that client received pre-qualification entries from contracting consortiums in late June 2012. It is currently deciding on which group to invite to bid for the design and build contract, which will include the supply of rolling stock. 

Egypt's Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Company) is understood to have submitted a pre-qualification bid on this scheme. It is expected that the deadline of June 20, 2012 is likely to be extended. 

It is understood that client has invited global consortia specialised in the production and supply of rolling stock, and control and telecommunications systems, as well as metro tunnelling, civil, mechanical and electrical works, to submit their applications for pre-qualification on this project. Qualified applicants may request the applications for pre-qualification at the Headquarter of the client in Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter or by e-mail to: metro@arriyadh.net
The last date for submission of applications is June 20, 2012. 

It is understood that client is set to issue an invitation for contractors to pre-qualify for the main construction package on this scheme by the end of May 2012. It is expected to be tendered as a single design-and–build package, which will include the supply of rolling stock. The plan has been approved by the Council of Ministries on April 23, 2012. Approval of the scheme has been well received by the region’s construction sector, after future of metro was brought into doubt following omission of the scheme from government’s proposed 2012 Budget in December 2011. The metro network is expected to have two lines. First proposed line is likely to run 25-kilometres from the Northern to the Southern ring road, and the second line will be 14-kilo metre long, extending from east to west across Riyadh. The north to south line will contain about (25) stations and east to west line will have (11) stations. 

A final decision on how to fund this project is now expected to be determine in the second half of 2011. 

A final decision on how to fund this project is expected to be made in December 2010. 

Client is still awaiting the budget allocation decision to issue the ITB for the main contract. 

This project has been delayed. Detailed design work is complete. Four consortiums of local and international firms are now preparing to bid for construction contracts. Bidders include local Al-Rajhi Group and Japan's Hitachi Corporation; local Saudi Oger and Canada's Bombardier; local Saudico, with Malaysia's Scomi; and local Saudi Binladin Group, with Germany's Siemens. Client is expected to invite contractors to bid for the design and build contracts before the end of first quarter of 2010. 

Invitation to bid (ITB) documents for the main contract are expected to be issued in August 2007. A contract award is expected only by January 2008. 

Consortiums of international and local consultants have submitted proposals to provide consultancy services on this scheme. The contract centres on completion of tender documents for the design and build main construction contracts. The client is aiming to make an award by the end of this year, with the contract lasting about six months. A second tender for project management services has also been deferred. 

International consultants have been invited to submit bids by mid-October 2006 for the contract to provide consultancy services. The contract centres on completion of designs and preparation of tender documents. The client has also invited consultants to submit expressions of interest for a project management contract. Although the consultancy element is moving ahead, the scheme is unlikely to move into construction phase until late 2007. 

The client is aiming to issue tender documents to consultants by end of 2006 on this scheme, which has been decided to be carried out on a design and build basis. A competition is expected to be launched for completion of designs. Tender documents are expected to be prepared later this year, with a view to design work beginning in 2007. 

The client has selected a group comprising France's Semaly and Beirut-based Dar al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) for the contract to carry out preliminary engineering designs on this project. The contract is expected to be signed by mid-July 2004, following the completion of final contractual details. It will be carried out over a period of 14 months. Semaly and Dar al-Handasah won the contract against competition from four consortia. They will assist the client in making a decision on whether the project will be carried out on a design-build (DB), design-build-operate (DBO) or a design-build-operate-finance (DBOF) basis. Two other contracts related to the scheme are expected to be awarded soon. 

An award is nearing for the contract to carry out preliminary engineering designs on this scheme, also referred to as 30 per cent design. Three out of the five groups that submitted bids in April 2004 have been short-listed and asked to submit revised bids. 

Eleven pre-qualified consultants are preparing to submit bids by April 21, 2004 for the contract to carry out preliminary engineering designs on this scheme. Of the (11) pre-qualified consultants, several are understood to be planning to set up a joint venture. Among the potential bidders are Germany's Dornier Consulting, US' Parsons Brinckerhoff International and France's Systra. The successful bidder will be selected by late April 2004.