Mecca Municipality has given prequalified consortiums two more months to prepare bids from the contracts to build the first phase of the city’s multibillion-dollar metro project.

The new tender closing date is 8 September. The previous deadline was 6 July. The 10 consortiums that have prequalified for the works comprise local and international companies.

The 10 consortiums understood to have been prequalified are:

• Hyundai E&C (South Korea)/STFA (Turkey)/CMC (Italy)/Baytur (Turkey)
• Saudi Binladin Group (SBG)/Porr (Austria)
• Impregilo (Italy)/Nesma & Partners Contracting (local)
• Yapi Merkezi (Turkey)/Orascom Construction Industries (Egypt)/Kalyon (Turkey)
• China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC)
• El-Seif Engineering Contracting (local)/Posco Engineering Company (South Korea)/Yuksel (Turkey)/Dogus (Turkey)/Nurol (Turkey)
• Saudi Oger (local)/SAPAC (local)/Gulermak (Turkey)/Rizzani (Italy)/Pizzarotti (Italy)
• Assignia (Spain)/Alsaad General Contracting (local)/Mapa Construction Company (Turkey)
• China Communications Construction Company (CCCC)
• Isolux Corsan (Spain)/Haif Contracting (local)/Kolin (Turkey)

The first phase is expected to involve the construction of two lines with a total length of 46-kilometres and 22 train 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.

Mecca Metro is being built to meet the anticipated growth in religious tourists visiting the holy city during the Muslim pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah in the coming years. The metro network is part of the wider SR60bn ($16.5bn) transport programme for Mecca known as Mecca Public Transport Programme (MPTP), which also includes a bus network. In July 2013, the US’ Parsons Brinckerhoff was awarded a $93.6m project management office (PMO) contract for the MPTP.

The Mecca project is one of three major upcoming metro schemes planned in the Western Province cities of the kingdom, following on from the award of the main packages on the Riyadh Metro last year.