Gulf Construction Online - Well connected

Saudi Arabia

Well connected

01 May 2017

Work is steaming ahead on the Riyadh Metro, where recently Alstom handed over the first of the 69 metro trainsets to Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) for operation on lines 4, 5 and 6 of the metro. Tunnel excavation work on the lines was completed last June.

The 176-km-long metro project, which includes six lines and 85 stations, was launched by the ADA in 2013. The Riyadh metro is aimed at helping reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in a city whose population is expected to rise from 6.5 million today to 8.3 million by 2030.

Tunnel excavation work on Line Three – the longest of the massive project – was completed in January.

The project is part of the King Abdul Aziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport (KAPRPT), which will include 756 metro cars, 85 stations, 3,853 bus stops and stations, 24 bus routes, a 1,150-km network, and 956 buses (see Transforming Riyadh).

In the railway sector, the North-South Railway became operational at the end of February. The 1,250-km-long network extends from Riyadh and run through Al-Majma’ah, Qasim, Hail and Jouf to reach Al Qurayyat.

Saudi Arabia has also completed the detailed design of its 950-km Land Bridge which will transform the kingdom’s existing rail network into a world-class freight and passenger link connecting the port cities of Jeddah, Dammam and Jubail and passing through Riyadh and serve its dry port.

Work on the multi-billion-dollar Haramain High-Speed Rail project, including the world’s widest overpass at about 70 m wide, is nearing completion and is expected to open to the public this year. One of the biggest projects in the region, the Haramain rail will connect Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.

In the roads sector, the Omani part of the 726-km-long road linking Saudi Arabia directly with the sultanate is now ready to open. The project extends through the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter) and once completed, will help reduce the travel distance between the two countries by over 800 km and replace the existing route, which passes through the UAE and stretches around 2,000 km in length. The new road will cover 160 km in Oman, with the remaining 566 km being in Saudi Arabia.