Jeddah's US $5.6bn monorail revealed

Plans have been revealed for a US $5.6 billion (SAR 21 billion) monorail to be built in Jeddah as part of a comprehensive new transport network for the city.

Saudi Arabia’s transport minister Jabara Al Seraisry presented the proposed network to Makkah governor Prince Khaled Al Faisal yesterday, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

The project will reportedly be carried out in three phases and includes monorails, 816 buses, 201 bus stations and dozens of trams linking Jeddah’s residential districts. The monorail will link Jeddah’s 12 main streets and have speeds of up to 60km per hour.

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The annual operation cost of the network is estimated to be $98.9 million.

Prince Khaled urged officials to undertake the project as quickly as possible.

The network will be implemented by the private sector and supervised by the ministry. The plan for the network was prepared by Canada’s IBI group.

Saudi Arabia’s Transport Ministry is currently carrying out a number of railway projects to improve the Kingdom’s transport system.

A $1.8 billion contract was recently awarded to the Al-Rajhi Consortium to implement the first phase of the Haramain Railway project that will link Makkah and Madinah to Jeddah.

Contracts valued at $637 million have also been signed with Saudi, French and Chinese firms to implement the North-South Railway that connects the mineral-rich Jalamid belt with smelters in Ras Al Zour near the eastern industrial city of Jubail.