Tenders for the construction of a $11.3 billion, 165-km, four-lane metro network in Kuwait, were scheduled to be called late last month.

The specifications for the network were also expected to be approved by the government last month. The lines will be tendered as separate projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the winners to be announced within six months.
Construction will begin early next year, and will take five years to complete. While 65 per cent of the network will be elevated, the remainder will be underground.
The project will be funded through a PPP arrangement in which the state will hold a 24 per cent stake and the contractor 26 per cent. The remaining 50 per cent will be raised through an IPO. An estimated 69.1 million passengers are expected to use the metro.