RIYADH, 15 August 2004 — A French firm yesterday won an SR8 million contract to prepare preliminary plans for an electric railway network in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
French consulting firm Semaly and the Middle East engineering firm Dar Al-Handasah were granted the contract, which stretches for a period of 14 months.
“The studies will assess the situation on the ground with respect to the social, economic and environmental impact of the project on the capital city,” SPA quoted Tareq Al-Faris, vice president of the Projects Center at the Riyadh Development Authority, as saying.
The studies will also assess technical needs in terms of locating suitable paths for installing the tracks within the city.
The Kingdom has embarked on a major plan to increase the use of railways between the cities. The multibillion-dollar expansion program includes a 950-kilometer loop from Riyadh to Jeddah joining existing lines from the capital to Dammam.
This coast-coast line would cut transportation time for containers from Dammam to Riyadh and on to the Jeddah Islamic Port, the kingdom’s main sea outlet, by about a week compared to shipping.
A 115-kilometer line will also be built between Dammam, the city’s international airport and the industrial port of Jubail on the Arabian Gulf.
A 570-kilometer line between Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah and extending north to the industrial city of Yanbu is also planned to ease the travel of millions pilgrims who visit the holy cities annually for Haj and Umrah.
