Consortiums of international and local consultants have submitted proposals to provide consultancy services for the proposed $2,000 million Riyadh light railway project. ADA aims to make an award by the end of the year with the contract lasting about six months (MEED 15:9:06).

The consultancy contract centres on the completion of tender documents for the design and build main construction contracts.A second tender for project management services has also been deferred. ‘This has been postponed until we receive approval for the budget, which we expect in December,’ says a source at ADA. The project is unlikely to move into the construction phase until late 2007.The proposed scheme includes a line of about 38 kilometres linking the north and south of the city and a second track running 13 kilometres along King Abdullah street.A group comprising Semaly of France and Beirut-based Dar al-Handasah (Shair & Partners) completed the 30 per cent preliminary engineering design contract in July.