Saudi Arabia’s Tatweer Buildings Company (TBC) plans to issue by November the tender for the public-private partnership (PPP) contract for 60 schools located in Jeddah and Mecca, sources familiar with the scheme tell MEED.

MEED understands the client is finalising the list of prequalified bidders for the contract.

The selected bidder will design, build, finance, maintain and transfer the schools to Saudi Arabia’s Education Ministry at the end of the contract period.

The 60 schools comprise the first wave of the kingdom’s national schools (PPP) programme, where it plans to procure 300 schools across the kingdom.

The schools included in Wave 1 are kindergarten, elementary, intermediate and secondary.

MEED understands the schools will be leased to TBC by the Education Ministry, with the latter also providing the education services.

The school sites are expected to feature multipurpose halls, facilities to accommodate children with special needs, catering facilities and specialist teaching areas, among others.

UK-based HSBC and US consultancy Aecom are providing TBC financial and technical advisory services, respectively, for the project, while UK’s Allen & Overy and local Khoshaim & Associates are the legal advisers.