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

  • Smart Cities put people, prudence and businesses before technology
    December 4, 2014
    Caroline Haynes tells ITS International that transport planners and equipment suppliers need to adopt different thinking and the smartest cities don’t call themselves smart. The term Smart Cities has been around for some time and has become something of a catch-all term applied to novel or futuristic technology deployed in an urban setting.
  • Rapid growth of bus rapid transit schemes on US Pacific coast
    January 27, 2012
    This section pulls together all the multi-modal topics in each issue. Subject matter will include smartcards; ticketing and payment systems; passenger information systems; fleet management for buses, trains and light rail; park and ride systems; on-line access to real-time information via Internet portals
  • Increase infrastructure spending says senator
    January 7, 2015
    US Senator Bernie Sanders is to introduce legislation when the new session of Congress convenes this month to authorise a US$1 trillion, multi-year program to rebuild crumbling roads and bridges and invest in other infrastructure modernisation projects. The investment not only would begin to address a growing backlog of badly-needed repairs, it also would put 13 million Americans to work at decent-paying jobs, according to Sanders, who will take over this month as the ranking member of the Senate Budget
  • Nigeria’s airport project nears completion
    August 7, 2014
    The Abuja Airport terminal expansion project in Nigeria, currently under construction by Chinese company CECC, is around 30 per cent complete and is expected to open for operation in December 2014. The scheme, when completed, will connect the city centre to the satellite towns in the country. The Federal Government has embarked on improving most of the nation’s airport terminals across the country via various remodelling and expansion works with a view to bringing them up to international standards.