MAKKAH: Haj pilgrims traveling between Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa may be able to take advantage of the proposed monorail project by 2010, a local newspaper reported yesterday. Nine international companies have been invited to bid for the SR5-billion project.
Dr. Habib Zainul Abideen, undersecretary for development projects at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, said the winning company would be announced before September.
He added that work would start before Haj this year to ensure the project’s completion in 18 months.
Zainul Abideen said that a French consultancy is finalizing details and designs of the project, which will be duly provided to the bidding companies. He said that the train would run at heights of between eight to 10 meters in order not to obstruct the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the ground.
Residents of Makkah will be able to use the monorail to perform the stoning ritual in Mina, he added.
