Project management firms have submitted prices for the first of the project management contracts to be tendered for the estimated $7bn-8bn Riyadh metro project.

Project management firms submitted tenders for the first project management tender on 20 April. According to sources in Riyadh, there is expected to be three project management deals awarded for the six-line metro scheme. The project management tenders are being handled by the US’ CH2M Hill, which has been appointed as the project management office (PMO) for the metro project.

The local Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) is the client for the Riyadh metro scheme. ADA received bids from three consortiums on 20 February for the five main construction contracts on the scheme, after having prequalified four groups.

The six lines will have a total length of 180 kilometres. The first line will run in a north-south direction alongside and under Olaya and Bat’ha streets. The line will start from the north at Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Street and end at Hayer Road in the south. The line will run for 44km and contain 39 stations.

The second proposed line will run along King Abdullah Road, from King Saud University and the Eastern Sub Centre. It will be about 22.5km long and will have 13 stations.

The third line will run alongside and under parts of the Al-Madinah and Al-Munawwararh roads. The line will be about 45km long and will comprise 32 stations.

Line four will run north to south alongside Prince Saud bin-Muhammad bin Muqrin Street, from the King Abdullah Financial District and King Khaled International airport. The line will be about 32km long and include 13 stations.

The fifth line will run in a north-south direction alongside and under King Abdulaziz Street. The line will run between King Abdullah Financial District and Bat’ha Street. The line will be about 26km long and have 25 stations.

Line 6 will run in an east-west direction along Abdulrahman bin Aouf and Sheikh Hassan bin Hussein bin Ali streets. It will extend between Prince Saad bin Abdulrahman Street and King Abdullah Road. The line will have an approximate length of 12km and contain nine stations.

Beirut-based Dar al-Handasah and France’s Egis Rail have worked on preliminary designs for the metro project.

The metro scheme is part of Riyadh’s Public Transport Project (PTP) plan approved by the Council of Ministers on 23 April 2012. The plan has been prepared by the High Authority for the development of the city of Riyadh