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Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) has begun post-tender clarifications with bidders for a contract to design and build the Riyadh Rail Link, a new north-to-south railway line across the capital.

MEED understands that the latest round of clarifications with bidders was held last week.

Contractors submitted their commercial proposals on 30 June, as MEED reported.

The bidders include:

• China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation / Al-Ayuni Investment & Contracting (China/local)
• Nesma & Partners / China Harbour Engineering Company (local/China)
• Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting / IC Ictas Construction / Saipem (local/Turkiye/Spain)
• Saudi Binladin Group (local)

The scope includes a 35-kilometre double-track line connecting SAR’s North-South Railway to the Eastern Railway network.

Issued on 29 January, the tender also covers the procurement, construction and installation of associated infrastructure, including viaducts, civil works, utility diversions/installations, signalling systems and other related works.

Once delivered, the Riyadh Rail Link is expected to become a key component of the Saudi Landbridge railway.

In January, SAR said it would deliver the Saudi Landbridge project through a “new mechanism” by 2034, after failing to reach an agreement with a Chinese consortium to construct it, as MEED reported.

In an interview with local media, SAR CEO Bashar Bin Khalid Al-Malik said the consortium failed to meet local content requirements, and that the project would instead be delivered in several phases under a different procurement model.

Negotiations have been under way between Saudi Arabia and China-backed investors interested in developing the scheme through a public-private partnership (PPP). Al-Malik put the project cost at about SR100bn ($26.6bn).

Overall, it comprises more than 1,500km of new track. A core element is a 900km railway between Riyadh and Jeddah, providing the capital with direct freight access to King Abdullah Port on the Red Sea.

Other key elements include upgrading the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, a bypass around the capital known as the Riyadh Link, and a connection between King Abdullah Port and Yanbu.

The Saudi Landbridge is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated project programmes. First announced in 2004, it was put on hold in 2010 before being revived a year later. Rights-of-way issues, route alignment and the high cost have been among the main stumbling blocks.

READ THE JULY 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

Stress test for Gulf aviation; Mixed performance as country outlooks diverge in the Levant; GCC tourism sector pivots from crisis to recovery mode.

Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the July 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes: