Saudi Arabia’s Roads General Authority (RGA) has announced that a total of 69 companies have submitted bids for a major highway project linking the Aseer region to Jazan.

Of these, 37 are global players in the project development sector such as Spanish group Acciona Construccion; AtkinsRealis (Canada); Webuild (Italy); Bouygues Batiment (France) in addition to Indian construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Korean majors Samsung C&T and Hyundai E&C.

The 136-km long highway project is being implemented by RGA in collaboration with the National Center for Privatization & PPP (NCP) on a design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) model.

The highway – comprising three lanes in each direction – spans from Al Farah area in the Aseer region to the Red Sea through Jazan. It will have six intersections, 57 bridges with a total length of 18 km in addition to 11 tunnels running 9.2 km long.

Once the contract is awarded, RGA said the entire project work will be completed within 30 years.

The other international firms in the race include: Investcorp Infrastructure Investments (Cayman Islands); AK Consulting Engineers (US); Egis Projects (France); lntertoll lnternational (Netherlands); Mota-Engil Europe (Portugal); Swiss group Pini as well as Plenary Group (Australia); Edgenta Arabia (Malaysia); Salfo Engineering & Management (Greece) and Limak Group of Companies (Turkey) in addition to Chinese groups CHEC and China Railway 18th Bureau Group.

The regional heavyweights vying for the contract include UAE-based Contrax International DMCC; Lamar Holding (Bahrain) as well as Kuwaiti groups Alghanim International General Trading & Contracting, Gulf Investment Corporation, and Combined Group Contracting Company.

According to RGA, 32 Saudi firms are also in the fray led by top firms Nesma, Saudi Binladin Group; Ajlan & Bros Holding Group; Al Bawani; Sapac, Sajco, Mowah and Vision Invest. The list also includes Abdul Ali Al-Ajmi; Al Gihaz Holding Company; Al Jaber Contracting; Al Yamama Asyad Holding Company; Awj International Contracting Company; Buhur for Investment; GCLA Engineering Consultancy; Mada International Holding; Modern Building Leaders; Masco; Najd Roads Contracting; Rio Arabia; Safari Company and Samaya Investment Company.