The Saudi Railways Organization is proud to announce that an important milestone has been reached in the Railway Expansion Program with the receipt of Statements of Qualification (SOQ’s) from nine consortia hoping to pre-qualify for participation in the tender process for the Saudi Landbridge project.

The consortia include a number of leading Saudi and international companies with activities in construction, shipping, investment, logistics and railways. International interest has been registered by companies from the USA, UK, Germany, Canada, France, China, India, Korea, Russia, Spain and Italy.

The high level of interest received to date reflects the attractiveness of the Saudi Landbridge project and its potential for supporting the further development of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of the whole Middle East region.

SOQ’s received are currently being evaluated and qualified parties will be announced in due course.

Background to the project:

The Landbridge is the cornerstone of the Railway Expansion Program approved by the Kingdom’s Supreme Economic Council. The project is to be implemented through private sector participation as a BOT concession. It will be the first ever rail link between the Red Sea and the Gulf and is expected to have a profound impact on shipping patterns in the region.

The Saudi Landbridge will transform the existing rail network in the Kingdom into a world-class freight and passenger rail link across the country.

The project will comprise:

• Construction and operation of a 950 km new line between Riyadh and Jeddah. This line, in conjunction with the existing Riyadh-Dammam line, will be used for the transport of container and cargo traffic between Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam meant for the domestic market and for further shipment to and from the Gulf countries.

• Construction and operation of a 115 km new line between Dammam and Jubail, the largest industrial city in Saudi Arabia hosting many world-class petrochemical industries.

• Upgrade and operation of the existing rail link between Riyadh and Dammam to provide for increased traffic volumes generated by the Landbridge.

A consortium comprising UBS Investment Bank, The National Commercial Bank and SNCF International has been retained by the SRO to provide financial and technical advisory services for the project. Linklaters, together with the Law office of Abdulaziz H Fahad, is providing legal advisory services.