EXCLUSIVE: Saudi Arabia extends transport PMO bids deadline

30 July 2018
The Transport Ministry’s project management office expects to require more than 300 consultants

Saudi Arabia’s Transport Ministry (MoT) has extended by four weeks the deadline for the contract to establish its project management office (PMO), sources familiar with the programme tell MEED.

The initial bid deadline was 5 August.

MEED understands some changes on the scope of the contract prompted the extension.

MoT is one of 50 ministries and government entities that have been mandated to set up a PMO to be overseen by the National Project, O&M Management Organisation (Mashroat).

PMOs are also planned for other transport-related entities such as the General Authority for Civil Aviation (Gaca), Saudi Ports Authority, and Saudi Railways Organisation (SRO).

In June, Saudi Customs Authority (SCA) awarded US-based Aecom a $100m enterprise project management office (EPMO) contract.

MEED understands the Ministry of Electricity and Water, Riyadh Municipality, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Interior are planning large PMOs requiring more than 300 staff.

Earlier this month, the Municipalities and Rural Affairs Ministry (Momra) invited firms to bid for the agency’s project management office (PMO).

Momra provides administration for all municipalities in the kingdom, including city and town planning and development and maintenance of infrastructure such as roads and water sewerage networks.

PMOs are central to Riyadh’s overhaul of the public sector, and will help regulate and plan future capital expenditure projects in the kingdom. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud has been highly critical of past projects that have run over budget, not been completed on time, or failed to effectively support economic growth in the kingdom.

In February 2017, US firm Bechtel was appointed to support setting up and operating Mashroat, which was formed by the Ministry of Economy and Planning in 2015 and will help Saudi government agencies deliver complex infrastructure projects.

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