A third award is nearing for the contract to carry out preliminary engineering designs, also referred to as 30 per cent design. Three out of five groups that submitted bids in April have been shortlisted by ADA and asked to submit revised proposals by 30 May. A contract award is expected by mid-June.

The 30 per cent design contract, which will take 12-18 months, will cover two light rail lines running north-south and east-west over a total distance of about 38 kilometres. The project will cost an estimated SR 1,500 million ($400 million). ADA says the 30 per cent study will assist the authority in making a decision on whether the project will be carried out on a design-build (DB), design-build-operate (DBO) or a design-build-operate-finance (DBOF) basis (MEED 26:3:04).