Firms interested in Qiddiya high-speed rail revealed

14 November 2025

 

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Saudi Arabia's Royal Commission for Riyadh City, in collaboration with Qiddiya Investment Company and the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP, have received interest from over 145 local and international companies for a contract to develop the Qiddiya high-speed rail project in Riyadh.

These include 68 contracting companies, 23 design and project management consultants, 16 investment firms, 12 rail operators, 10 rolling stock providers and 16 other services firms.

The lead developers and contractors that have expressed interest are:

  • Afcons Contracting Company / Shapoorji Pallonji (India)
  • Al-Omaier Trading & Contracting (local)
  • Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (local)
  • Al-Rawaf Contracting (local)
  • Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting Company (local)
  • AlBawani (local)
  • Al-Fahd Company (local)
  • Alghanim International (Kuwait)
  • Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies (local)
  • Almabani General Contractors (local)
  • Amar (local)
  • Anjal Al-Khair Contracting (local)
  • Aviation Industry Corporation of China (China)
  • Bouygues Travaux Publics (France)
  • China Railway 18th Bureau Group (China)
  • China Harbour Engineering Company (China)
  • Built Industrial Company (local)
  • Cap France (France)
  • China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (China)
  • China Machinery Engineering Corporation (China)
  • China Railway Construction Corporation (China)
  • China Railway International Group Co (China)
  • Copasa (Spain)
  • Dineshchandra R. Agrawal Infracon (India)
  • Dogus Insaat (Turkiye)
  • EDECS Contracting (Egypt)
  • El-Seif Engineering Contracting (local)
  • El-Soadaa Group (Egypt)
  • ElSewedy Electric (Egypt)
  • Esnad Contracting (local)
  • FCC Construccion (Spain)
  • Freyssinet (France)
  • Global Construction Development Solutions Company (local)
  • Gulermak (Turkiye)
  • Hassan Allam Construction (Egypt)
  • Hyundai Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • IC Ictas (Turkiye)
  • Imathia Construccion (Spain)
  • Kalyon Insaat (Turkiye)
  • Kolin Construction (Turkiye)
  • Larsen & Toubro (India)
  • Makyol (Turkiye)
  • Mapa Group (Turkiye)
  • Marubeni (Japan)
  • Mofarreh AlHarbi & Partners (local)
  • Mota-Engil (Portugal)
  • Mubarak Abdullah AlSuwaiket & Sons (local)
  • Nesma & Partners (local)
  • Nesma Infrastructure & Technology (local)
  • Nurol Construction (Turkiye)
  • Orascom Construction (Egypt)
  • Saudi Pan Kingdom (local)
  • Redco International (Egypt)
  • Rio Contracting (local) (local)
  • Rowad Modern Engineering (Egypt)
  • Safari Company (local)
  • Saipem (Spain)
  • Salcef (Spain)
  • Samama (local)
  • Samsung C&T Corporation (South Korea)
  • Saraya Al-Andalus (local)
  • Syneox (Cobra) (Spain)
  • The Arab Contractors (Egypt)
  • Twaik Holding (local)
  • UCC Holding (Qatar)
  • Webuild (Italy)
  • Yapı Merkezi (Turkiye)

Expressions of interest have also been submitted by the following design and project management consultants:

  • Aecom (US)
  • AtkinsRealis (Canada)
  • Ayesa Engineering (Spain)
  • CH2M (USA)
  • Contrax International (UAE)
  • El-Raeid Consulting Engineers (Egypt)
  • Gensler (US)
  • Geoharbour (China)
  • Hatch (Canada)
  • Hill International (US)
  • Idom (Spain)
  • Introsoft Solutions (India)
  • Italferr (Italy)
  • KL Consults Associates (Malaysia)
  • Kunhwa Engineering and Consulting Company (South Korea)
  • Marrs Global (UK)
  • One Works (Italy)
  • PPMDC (local)
  • Rina Services (Italy)
  • Sener (Spain)
  • Surbana Jurong (Singapore)
  • Systra (France)
  • Typsa (Spain)

Equity investors that expressed interest in the Qiddiya high-speed rail project are:

  • Aberdeen Investcorp (Bahrain)
  • AlGihaz Holding (local)
  • Almutlaq Real Estate Investment Company (local)
  • Arj Holding (local)
  • Foure Holdings (US)
  • Itochu Corporation (Japan)
  • Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (Kind; South Korea)
  • Lamar Holding (local)
  • Mada International Holding (local)
  • Meritz Financial Group (South Korea)
  • MXB Investment (local)
  • Plenary (Australia)
  • Sojitz (Japan)
  • Tamasuk (local)
  • Vinci Concessions (France)
  • Vision Invest (local)

The rail operators that submitted expressions of interest are as follows:

  • Alsa Grupo (Spain)
  • Alsaif Transportation Company (local)
  • DB International Operations (Germany)
  • Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane (Italy)
  • Intertoll Europe (Hungary)
  • Keolis (France)
  • Moventis (Spain)
  • MTR Corporation (Hong Kong)
  • Ratp Dev (France)
  • Renfe Operadora (Spain)
  • Serco (UK)
  • Transdev (France)

Interest in the project was also expressed by the following 10 rolling stock and systems suppliers:

  • Alstom (France)
  • CAF (Spain)
  • Colas Rail (France)
  • CRRC (Hong Kong)
  • CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles (China)
  • Hitachi Rail (Japan)
  • Hyundai Rotem (South Korea)
  • Siemens (Germany)
  • Stadler Rail (Switzerland)
  • Talgo (Spain)

And finally, the other service providers that expressed interest in the project are:

  • Al-Nasser (local)
  • Alutec (Qatar)
  • Alvarez & Marsal (US)
  • Comatec (Finland)
  • Concrete Technology Company (UAE)
  • Generale Costruzioni Ferroviarie (Italy)
  • Hogan Lovells (UK)
  • Indra (Spain)
  • Intellex Consulting Services (US)
  • International SOS (UK)
  • Najd Wire Industries Company (local)
  • Rawasi Albina (local)
  • Smart Directions (local)
  • STC (local)
  • Workforce Staffing Solutions (UAE)
  • Zebraware (UK)

The firms submitted their expressions of interest on 12 October, as MEED reported.

The clients issued the notice to the market in September.

The Qiddiya high-speed rail project will connect King Salman International airport and King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh with Qiddiya City.

Also known as Q-Express, the railway line will travel at speeds of up to 250 kilometres an hour, reaching Qiddiya in 30 minutes.

The project was previously planned to be developed under a conventional model, but will now progress under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

The line is expected to be developed in two phases. The first phase will connect Qiddiya with KAFD and King Khalid International airport.

The second phase will start from a development known as the North Pole – which is understood to include the Public Investment Fund’s proposed 2-kilometre-tall tower – and travel to the New Murabba development, King Salman Park, central Riyadh and Industrial City in the south of Riyadh. 

In November 2023, MEED reported that French consultant Egis had been appointed as the technical adviser for the project.

UK-based consultancy Ernst & Young is acting as the transaction adviser on the project. Latham & Watkins is the legal adviser.

Qiddiya is one of Saudi Arabia’s five official gigaprojects and covers a total area of 376 square kilometres (sq km), with 223 sq km of developed land. 

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Yasir Iqbal
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