$5.3bn Saudi monorail work to start by year-end

Work on the first phase of an $5.3 billion Makkah monorail project will start in December, it has been announced.

The rapid transit scheme is being implemented to transport up to five million pilgrims between Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa.

Dr Habeeb Zain Al-Abidine, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs and secretary-general of the Commission for Development of Makkah, Madinah and the Holy Sites, said tenders would be opened on Tuesday with the winner being announced shortly after Haj.

Five specialized international companies, which were shortlisted from 10, are competing for the multi-billion dollar project, Arab News reported on Monday.

The monorail project has been backed by King Abdullah as the kingdom seeks to ease transportation of pilgrims between the holy sites.

Zain Al-Abidine said a feasibility study conducted by an international company had proposed five monorails linking the holy sites.

“The feasibility study suggested the second monorail be built two to three years after the construction of the first one,” he told Arab News.

The first monorail beginning from Mina will transport nearly one million pilgrims including 360,000 Arab pilgrims.