Saudi Arabia’s Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) has officially awarded the project and construction management contracts for the Riyadh Metro project.

A joint venture between the US’ Parsons International and French firms Egis and Systra was awarded a $556m deal to manage lines 1, 2 and 3, as MEED reported earlier this month.

The metro lines are set to be designed and built by two consortiums known as BACS and Arriyadh New Mobility. The design-and-build contracts were awarded at the end of July.

A joint venture between US firms Louis Berger and Hill International was awarded the second $264m deal to manage metro lines 4, 5 and 6. These tracks are being designed and constructed by the FAST consortium.

The Riyadh Metro network will cover a total length of 176 kilometres and will feature 85 air-conditioned stations. It is expected to be operational by 2019.

The scheme is part of Riyadh’s Public Transport Project (PTP) plan, which was approved by the Council of Ministers in 2012.

Contracts for the operation and maintenance of a bus network that will support Riyadh’s metro are expected to be awarded by the ADA soon.

The Riyadh Metro is driving investment in other metro and light rail systems across Saudi Arabia. Jeddah, Dammam, Mecca and Medina are now developing their own metro or rail networks.

Click here for more details and images of development plans for the Riyadh metro