The US’ Aecom has been awarded a $28m contract to provide pre-programme management consultancy services for the Jeddah Public Transport Project, at the heart of which is the proposed Jeddah Metro.

Under its 18-month contract, Aecom will provide staff to support the preliminary planning and design work for various phases of the metro project.

The Jeddah Metro Company had received bids from three firms for the contract on 17 March. Aecom saw off competition from the US’ Louis Berger and the Netherland’s Arcadis. The Jeddah Metro is planned to have three major lines: Orange; Blue; and Green. The total length of the network is planned to be 152 kilometres with 92 stations. The Orange Line will be 84km and is split into two parts, the Blue Line 36km and the Green Line 32km.

The Jeddah Metro is one of three new major metro projects planned in the kingdom, following the award of the main construction packages on the $22.5bn Riyadh Metro in May last year.

MEED recently reported that 10 consortiums had prequalified for the first phase civil works on the multibillion-dollar Mecca Metro. The prequalified groups have until 6 July to submit bids for the two civil construction packages, which will include the construction of 46 kilometres of track and 22 stations.

The first package, for Line B, will include the construction of a 26km line, which will be mainly underground, and 12 stations. The second contract will be for part of Line C, and will be mainly sections above ground. The Line C package will include the construction of 20km of track, 10 stations and the depot civil works.

The Development Commission of Mecca and Mashaaer (DCOMM) recently invited project management firms to submit expressions of interest (EoIs) for work on the Mecca metro scheme. The client is understood to be planning to tender two project management contracts. The Mecca Metro is one element of a wider SR60bn transport programme for Mecca known as the Mecca Public Transport Programme (MPTP), which also includes a bus network.

In November 2013, contractors were invited to prequalify for the first phase of the construction of civil works for the Mecca rail scheme. In July last year, US firm Parsons Brinckerhoff won the $93.6m project management office (PMO) contract for the MPTP.

Project management firms recently submitted bids for work on the planned Medina metro project. The Medina Development Authority received proposals from project management firms on 18 March. Early estimates suggest the Medina scheme will cost at least $1bn to construct. In May 2013, a joint venture of Lebanon’s Khatib & Alami and Turkey’s Istanbul Ulasim was awarded a consultancy services deal for the proposed metro.