Al-Rajhi and Al-Shuala have presented their technical and financial offers to Saudi Railway Organization (SRO), which is supervising the project. SRO's experts will verify the technical offers before opening the financial offers, said Abdul Aziz Al-Hoqail, its president.

"We want to make sure that the consortium that wins the contract fulfills all the technical and operational requirements in preparation for opening the financial offers and selecting the best offer," he said.

Al-Hoqail said the new contract would include construction of railway tracks, installation of signal systems and telecommunications, the importing of locomotives and equipment, and maintenance.

"We'll open the financial offers only after making sure that the competing company has fulfilled the technical requirements by at least 80 percent as mentioned in the offer request document," he said.

More than 90 percent of the design of the railway's primary infrastructure has been completed. They include designs of 12 of the project's 94 bridges. Besides pilgrims, the Haramain Railway will serve millions of visitors to Makkah and Madinah.

The 450-km high-speed railway will reduce the distance between Makkah and Jeddah to half an hour and between Jeddah and Madinah two hours.

"Upon completion of this project, it will provide an unprecedented means of transport in the Middle East, and will be the safest and fastest service for the transport of pilgrims and other passengers," the SRO chief said.