Aramco stadium programme to cost $4.4bn

23 September 2014

Programme said to be growing in scope

The 11 stadiums that Saudi Aramco is planning to build in different locations across the kingdom are expected to cost $400m each to build.

“The programme is getting bigger and bigger,” says a source close to the project. “The scope is being revised significantly as new facilities are added to each project. At the moment, it looks like they will cost $400m to build, but it could be more.”

The stadiums will be built in Medina, Al-Qassim, the Eastern Province, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, the Northern Border Region, Jazan, Najran, Baha and Al-Jouf. Aramco has selected four architects to design the stadiums based on a standard concept.

Each stadium will have a capacity of 45,000 people and will be based on King Abdullah Sports City (KASC), which opened in Jeddah in May.

Aramco has invited firms to bid by 8 October to provide project management services for the stadiums.

The state oil major is expected to release tenders for the contracts to build the stadiums in November, and has held meetings with construction companies in Dammam and London to brief prospective bidders on the projects.

The meeting in Dammam was attended by:

The meeting in London was attended by:

The contractors will be asked to bid for all the stadiums, with a maximum of two awarded to each company. The 18-month contracts will be due for completion in June 2016.

The recently opened KASC is home to a 60,000-seat stadium as well as a 2,000-seat multisports hall, a 1,000-seat athletic stadium and training fields for other sports. Belgium’s Six Construct, which is part of Besix, and the local Al-Muhaidib Trading & Contracting Establishment was awarded a SR2bn ($533m) contract to build the stadium in September 2011.

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