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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Are truck bans the wrong move in the battle for air quality
    June 29, 2016
    Low emission zones and heavy goods vehicles’ access to city centres may at first glance appear attractive but how effective are such controls? Jon Masters reviews emerging trends across Europe. Around 1,700 European cities have implemented low emission zones (LEZs) and in addition some have restricted city centre access for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Even those that restrict HGV access, such as Paris and Rome, allow exemptions at certain times and for particular classes of vehicle. But with what effect?
  • Masdar Institute and Abu Dhabi Department of Transport sign MoU
    December 24, 2012
    Abu Dhabi's Department of Transport (DoT) and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative partnership on exchange of information in transportation. The MoU will enable the sharing of information on Abu Dhabi's public transport systems and basic traffic data to be used by Masdar Institute for a research project. The proj
  • C/AVs & smart cities: a symbiotic relationship, says WSP
    December 5, 2018
    C/AVs and smart cities are still in their infancy. But Mike Warren suggests thatintegrating their data and services can create a co-operative relationship that improves safety, liveability and the economy for citizens The recent technological boom has led to two major public advances: connected and automated vehicles (C/AVs) and smart cities. While these are significant in their own right, when coupled together they create a new way in which citizens can access city services; live in safer, environment
  • Underground DART plan back on track
    May 7, 2014
    Irish Rail is set to proceed with the US$2.8 billion underground second DART rail line through the heart of Dublin city centre, following a recent High Court decision which gave the green light for the project. The line, which would run from Docklands to Inchicore, would complete the trebling of the Greater Dublin area's rail service capacity from 33 million passenger journeys annually now to 100 million passenger journeys upon completion.