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Royal commission engages with contractors for Mecca metro

9 September 2025

 

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The Royal Commission for Makkah City & Holy Sites (RCMC) has invited contractors to attend an early market engagement meeting for its long-planned metro network in the holy city.

In an explanatory document inviting companies to attend the 21 September event, the RCMC’s General Transport Centre says it is seeking to gauge market interest in the multibillion-dollar project and obtain feedback on its proposed procurement approach.

MEED reported in June that the project was restarting. Current plans envisage a four-line network, named lines A-D, with 89 stations and three depots, to be implemented over three phases between 2032 and 2045.

Project scope

Stage 1 focuses on lines B and C, involving 2.4 kilometres of tunnelling under the Masar project and integration with the existing Mashaer line.

Running a length of just over 62km, it will comprise 31 stations, 21 of which will be underground, including three iconic stations. A total of 19.5km will run through tunnels, while 41.2km will be elevated, with the remainder at grade level.

Daily passenger capacity on the 66 required trainsets is projected to be about 450,000, equating to an annual ridership of 171 million.

The 84.7km-long second phase, due to be operational by 2038, will extend the two lines towards the outskirts of Mecca, and involves the construction of the initial inner, central segments of lines A and D.

Totalling 61.1km elevated and 18.6km underground, it is planned to have an additional 45 stations serving the two new lines, as well as two depots and a potential interconnection with the planned Saudi Landbridge.

The 59 trainsets for phase 2 will increase the network’s projected total yearly passenger capacity to more than 500 million.

Phase 3 covers the elevated 36km extension of lines A and D and involves the procurement of a further 72 trainsets to increase the network’s ultimate passenger capacity to 1.2 million daily and 642 million annually by its completion in 2045.

Associated development

The metro plan also envisages several transit-oriented developments at different points on the route. These will typically comprise commercial, residential and retail elements to maximise the investment case.

The client’s proposed procurement approach involves three distinct packages: civil and systems works, TODs, and operations and maintenance.

The initial concept calls for some of the project to be delivered on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, wherein the private sector, through special purpose vehicles, will part-finance, build, operate and then transfer commercially viable elements of the scheme.

Following the 21 September job explanation meeting, RCMC will take questions and feedback from interested companies and says it hopes to publish the results of the early market engagement in early November.

The then-called Mecca Mass Rail Transit Company (MMRTC) first launched the metro project in 2013; however, the scheme has faltered for more than a decade due to funding issues, land acquisition challenges and scope changes.

The relaunch of the procurement process raises hopes that the project will now come to fruition, although it is likely to be at least 18 months before any definitive works are expected to start.

Mecca is home to Saudi Arabia’s first metro, the nine-station, 18km-long Mashaer line, which opened in 2010. It operates only seven days a year during Hajj, but carries more than 2 million pilgrims during that time.

Some 30 million pilgrims visit the city each year, with this number set to grow. The presence of a known, quantifiable and growing demand base will help facilitate the use of a PPP mechanism should the framework be adopted.

READ THE SEPTEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

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