KSA to Implement Landbridge Project at Outset of Coming Year
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is getting ready to implement the $7bln Landbridge project at the outset of the coming year.
“ Following the official announcement of National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) Tuesday, the project is expected to start at the beginning of the coming year,” said a source to Meed Magazine.
Moreover, the final cost-and-finance-related negotiations reached the final stage.
Landbridge Project
The 1300 km Landbridge is a road network between Riyadh and Dammam.
Connecting the Kingdom’s western coast on the Red Sea and eastern coast on the Gulf, the new bridge will serve as a long-awaited link between Red Sea ports and Gulf ports through railways.
Earlier this year, Transport and Logistic Minister Saleh al-Jasser said in a forum in Riyadh that KSA is undertaking negotiations with Saudi China Landbridge Consortium(SLCC) to determine the final cost and the financing of the project.
SLCC signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) to implement the project using a partnership between the public and private sectors.
Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation formed SLCC,
with AL-AYUNI Investment and Contracting Company (AICC) as its local partner for SLCC.
Project Includes six Lines
Being the biggest infrastructure project in the Kingdom, the Landbridge project consists of 6 lines.
The first line includes upgrading Jubail Industrial City’s internal network. This line, which will require 10km to build the track, is already under construction.
The second line is also concerned with upgrading the railway line from Jubail to Dammam.
The second line, whose track will extend 35 km, is already under construction.
The third line includes upgrading the Dammam to Riyadh 87 km railway line.
The fourth line, known as the Riyadh bypass, is from the already-existing network linking the north of the city to the south. It has two groups: the first is 67 kilometers and the second is 35 kilometers.
The fifth line will extend from Riyadh to King Abdullah port, passing by Jeddah. It will have three stations at Jamuma, Moya and AlDoadmi. The line connecting Riyadh to Jeddah will be 920km, while the line connecting Jeddah to King Abdullah port will be 146 km.
The sixth and last line will be a news 172 km line extending from King Abdullah port to Madinat Yanbu’.
Furthermore, there will be seven logistics centers including Damman Logistics Dry Port, a relocated Riyadh Dry Port, King Khalid Airport Logistics Centre in Riyadh, Jeddah Logistics Dry Port, King Abdullah Port Logistics Centre and Yanbu Industrial City Logistics Centre.
Plans to build the landbridge were announced in 2004, however, in 2010 it was suspended. Later in 2011, the plans were revived again.
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