Skip to main content

Saudi Arabian city plans ambitions transportation infrastructure

AlMadinah AlMunawwarah Development Authority (MMDA) has appointed professional services company Louis Berger as program management office consultant (PMOC) for implementation of the AlMadinah AlMunawwarah Public Transportation Program (MPTP) in Madinah, one of the most ambitious transportation infrastructure initiatives in the Middle East. The value of the PMOC contract is approximately US$100 million. The contract will extend over a five year period, during which time Louis Berger will support and assis
April 2, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
AlMadinah AlMunawwarah Development Authority (MMDA) has appointed professional services company 4736 Louis Berger as program management office consultant (PMOC) for implementation of the AlMadinah AlMunawwarah Public Transportation Program (MPTP) in Madinah, one of the most ambitious transportation infrastructure initiatives in the Middle East. The value of the PMOC contract is approximately US$100 million.

The contract will extend over a five year period, during which time Louis Berger will support and assist with MPTP’s strategic planning as well as  control, guide, oversee, coordinate and integrate service delivery of the various project and construction management consultants, any other consultants, advisors and third parties across MPTP projects. In addition, Louis Berger will be fully integrated with the MMDA management team.

The MPTP includes a comprehensive metro and bus network, as well as substantial upgrades and new construction for the primary road network. It also provides facilities such as stations, park-and-ride lots, depots and advanced intelligent transportation systems.

With a major expansion of both the Prophet’s Mosque and the city’s airport, projections indicate as many as 8.6 million Umrah visitors and 3.6 million Hajj pilgrims will visit the city in 2040. The program will address current and future challenges related to crowding, traffic congestion and environmental pollution caused by vehicle emissions.

“We could not be prouder to be associated with MMDA in the implementation of the MPTP for the holy city of Madinah,” said D. James Stamatis, president of Louis Berger’s international operations. “The implementation of an advanced public transportation system will endow Madinah with one of the most advanced transportation systems in the world.”

Louis Berger will establish a talent development program allowing senior Saudi MMDA personnel to follow PMOC senior managers. The program aims to train and equip Saudi professionals with the management skills and technical capabilities to eventually take over the same positions they once shadowed before implementation is complete.

“Once completed, MPTP will boast world class transportation facilities, enabling the city to ensure the safety of its citizens, visitors and pilgrims — all while enabling greater knowledge transfer and training for Saudi professionals,” said Thomas Topolski, Louis Berger’s executive vice president and managing director, Middle East and North Africa.

Related Content

  • August 29, 2019
    NEC to improve bus performance in Saudi Arabia

    1068 NEC is to deploy an ITS solution to improve the performance of buses operated by Modern Bus in the city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

    Ryuji Nakagawa, general manager, transportation and logistics solutions at NEC, says: "NEC aims to manage the operation of approximately 2,000 buses in Makkah within the next five years.”

    NEC says more than two million people participated in the city’s Islamic Hajj Pilgrimage in 2018; a number which is expected to double in the next 15 years.

  • August 5, 2014
    EBRD funds new transport master planning standards for Romania
    In July 2014, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) awarded funds of around US$1.8 million for the development of sustainable mobility master plans in Romania. The EBRD is the largest institutional investor in Romania. To date, the Bank has invested US$8.9 billion across 364 projects in diverse sectors including industry, commerce, agribusiness, infrastructure, energy and finance.
  • October 31, 2014
    Wi-Fi win-win for mass transit
    David Crawford explores passenger and operator benefits of on-board Wi-Fi Urban commuters’ growing demand for continuous – and reliable - internet connectivity is spurring network operators into the rapid installation of high-grade Wi-Fi access on their surface and underground networks, as well as in their stations. Such moves are often a key part of strategies to maintain and increase ridership levels.
  • October 17, 2013
    Mena states plan $225bn transport projects
    The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region has a US$225 billion rail, metro, tram and bus rapid transit (BRT) capital investment programme to 2030, according to a report by Meed Projects. There are now 108 separate railway, metro, monorail, tram and BRT projects under bid, under design or under study in fourteen Mena countries. More than 50 of them, with a combined value of almost $140 billion, are in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).