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Saudi Arabia evaluates bus rapid transport bids

4 March 2025

 

Saudi Arabia’s Al-Madinah Region Development Authority (MDA), through the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP (NCP), has been evaluating bids it received in November for a contract to develop and operate a bus rapid transit (BRT) network in Medina.

The project scope involves financing, procuring and delivering depots, rolling stock and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). It also covers the bus fleet’s operation and maintenance and fare collection.

According to an industry source, the firms that submitted bids for the contract include a team of France's RATP Dev and the local Saptco, a team of the UK's National Express and the local Hafil, and a team comprising France's Transdev and Nesma. 

The NCP issued the Medina BRT project tender in February last year, as MEED reported. It will be implemented using a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

Forty-three companies expressed interest in the contract to develop the BRT project in July 2023. The MDA subsequently prequalified three consortiums and seven individual companies to bid for the contract. 

The planned Medina BRT comprises three corridors with a total length of 64.6 kilometres (km) and a feeder bus network.

The project has an estimated capacity of 1,800 passengers an hour.

The first route, which will stretch 16.2km from Ohud to Quba Mosque, will have 12 stops and two park-and-ride facilities.

The second and main route will be 38km long. It will start from Medina’s Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International airport, pass the Prophet’s Mosque and terminate at Miqat Mosque. The route will have 24 stations and three park-and-ride bus stops.

The third corridor starts from the eastern terminus on Al-Qassim Road and runs to Prince Abdul Majeed Mosque. It is 10.4km long, with 10 stations and a park-and-ride facility.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance, operate and maintain basis.

A consortium of French engineering firms Egis and Systra will provide project consultancy services for the Medina BRT project. 

Pioneering transport PPP

Based on the plan, the private sector will be responsible for financing, designing and building the depots; financing and procuring the rolling stock or bus fleet and the ITS; and delivering the operations and maintenance for the BRT lines.

Representing the public sector, the MDA will execute and deliver the civil works on the project, including the bus lanes, tunnels, bridges and viaducts.

The MDA appointed a team of UK-based Deloitte, the US/Saudi HDR Middle East and the local Abdul Rahman Fahad Al-Khaili as transaction advisers for the project in 2021.

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Jennifer Aguinaldo

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