Four consortia comprising Saudi and foreign companies had been qualified to present their offers to carry out Saudi Arabia’s prestigious Landbridge project, which will provide an east-west rail link and revamp the region’s shipping patterns.

The Supreme Economic Council (SEC) approved the technical report regarding qualification of the four consortia, which are led by the Saudi Binladen Group, Bouygues Travaux, Mada for Industrial and Comm-ercial Investment Company and Public Warehousing Company (PWC). They include a number of contractors and railway industry companies, as well as Saudi investors.
The Landbridge project involves construction of 950 km of new track between Riyadh and Jeddah and another 115-km line between Dammam and Jubail. It is the cornerstone of a massive multi-billion-dollar railway expansion programme and will be the first rail link between the Red Sea and the Gulf.
The SEC approved the technical report, which was prepared by representatives from Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO), its consultants UBS and National Commercial Bank, and SNCFI, the French railway company. The panel of experts reviewed the statements of qualification (SOQs). The high-level supervisory committee set up by SEC includes top officials from the ministries of transport, finance, petroleum and mineral resources, and municipal and rural affairs, as well as SRO, customs department, Saudi Seaports Authority and state-owned Public Investment Fund.
Transport Minister and SRO chairman Dr Jabara Al Seraisry said SEC’s approval will speed up implementation of the landmark project. He emphasised the significance of the Landbridge project, saying it would strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position on the map of regional and international transport.
The SEC approved implementation of the Landbridge project with private sector participation about four years ago. The Landbridge is designed for both passenger and cargo trains. It will boost the development of three main regions, Riyadh, Makkah and Eastern Province, which account for 70 per cent of Saudi Arabia’s population and economic activities.
Saudi Arabia’s railway expansion includes the Makkah-Madinah rail link, which will provide a safe, fast, reliable and comfortable mode of transport for Umrah and Haj pilgrims travelling between the two holy cities and Jeddah.