The local Nesma Holding is understood to be in talks for the acquisition of the shares held by Barcelona-based Transports Ciutat Comtal (TCC) in the consortium working on the SR3.4bn ($850m) contract to supply, maintain and operate buses for the Mecca Public Transport Programme (MPTP), sources with knowledge of the transaction have told MEED.

The contract for the supply, import and 10-year maintenance of 400 buses, in addition to the construction of a 220,000 square-metre maintenance centre, was awarded to the consortium in September 2017.

Both Nesma and TCC declined to confirm the supposed ongoing talks when contacted by MEED.

“We have no comment to make,” a Nesma representative told MEED. “Nesma is a part of the TCC [consortium] and we are involved in the project.”

A source at Mecca Mass Rail Transit (MMRT), the client for the contract on behalf of  Development Commission of Makkah Al Mukarramah and Mashaaer (Dcomm), told MEED that the “project is proceeding as planned” and they are not aware of any such changes in the consortium.

MEED understands that a team comprising of UK's National Express and its local partner earlier pulled out of the contract before it was awarded to the Nesma/TCC team.

The planned bus network in Mecca will consist of 12 lines along a length of 300 kilometres.

Seven lines are to be allocated for local buses, with a total of 83 stations, and the remaining five will be allocated to large and articulated buses.

According to Nesma, the contract also includes the construction of a maintenance centre with an area of ​​220,000 square meters. The facility will house the control and operation center for the buses, workshops and warehouses required for regular maintenance work, offices for the staff and workers, shelter for the bus fleet, and private accommodation for drivers.

In 2015, Nesma & Partners won a $1.75bn contract for infrastructure work on the King Abdul Aziz Road(KAAR) in Mecca.

The project is located in the western part of the city, extending 3,650 metres from the western entrance of the Grand Mosque leading to the Jabal Omar scheme.

The infrastructure work involves building roads and general infrastructure for the scheme. The works involve building 9.5 kilometres of roads, together with intersections and a main road with four lanes in each direction, and a central pedestrian boulevard linking to the Haram area.

The project was expected to be completed last year.