Bahrain’s Transportation & Telecommunications Ministry has prequalified four consortiums and two individual companies to bid for the contract to develop the first phase of the metro rail network in Bahrain.

The prequalified groups and companies are:

• Ahmed Mansoor Alaali (local) / CRRC Hong Kong (Hong Kong) / China Railway Construction Corporation (China)
• China Railway Group (China) / Strides International Business (Singapore)
• Plenary Asia (Australia) / Concession Infrastructure Investments Manager (UK) / Besix Sharjah Branch (UAE) / Hitachi Rail (Italy)
• Almoayyed Contracting Group (local) / China Harbour Engineering Company (China) / Abdul Aziz al-Ajlan Sons for Trading and Real Estate Investment Company (Saudi Arabia)
• Larsen & Toubro (India)
• Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (India)

The ministry plans to develop the 109-kilometre-long metro system in four phases. The first phase comprises two lines with a total length of 29km and 20 stations connecting Muharraq, Manama, the Diplomatic Area, Juffair, Seef District, Tubli, Adhari and Isa Town.

The project’s first phase will be implemented using an integrated public-private partnership (PPP) model.

Related read: Bahrain looks ahead to major projects

The government has said that it plans to compensate the project's selected developer based on the network's availability during the operations period.

The ministry has appointed a team of financial, technical and legal advisers led by KPMG as the lead transaction adviser, Egis as the technical adviser and DLA Piper as the legal adviser for procuring this scheme.

The project is expected to complete by June 2027.

The work scope for the project’s first phase includes:

• Construction of an elevated corridor with two lines with an estimated length of 29km
• Construction of 20 stations connecting Muharraq, Manama, Diplomatic Area, Juffair, Seef District, Tubli, Adhari and Isa Town
• Construction of two interchanges
• Construction of viaducts
• Installation of signalling systems
• Installation of safety and security systems
• Construction of associated facilities

The metro is a key part of Bahrain’s $30bn Strategic Projects Plan launched in 2021. It includes building new urban areas on five reclaimed islands to increase the country’s total land area by 60 per cent.