A French-Japanese consortium comprising Keolis, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, and Mitsubishi Corporation has clinched a major contract for the operation and maintenance of the Dubai Metro as well as the operation of the Dubai Tram.

The contract covers 15 years (nine base years and six renewable years) and amounts to approximately AED542 million ($143 million) per annum.

The contract award follows a public tender released by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in which four consortiums and international firms specialised in rail operation and maintenance took part.

Proposals made were analysed and the contract was awarded to the French-Japanese consortium for submitting the best technical and financial proposals.

Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, remotely signed the contract on behalf of the RTA with Keolis Group CEO Marie-Ange Debon, Aki Heiko Nozaka, Director of Investment and Services at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering, and Toru Kimura, General Manager of Mitsubishi Corporation.

As per the deal, the consortium will cater to the O&M of Dubai Metro as well as the operation of Dubai Tram as from September 8.

Before that, preparations will be made for the handover of assets and systems from the current operator to the new operator to ensure a safe and smooth operation of Dubai Metro and Tram, once the contract kicks in.

Earlier, UK-based Serco Group was operating and maintaining the Dubai Metro and Tram. Serco was initially given a 10-year contract when the Dubai Metro launched operation in 2009 and the contract was extended for another two years in September 2019.