Three international consortiums have submitted bids for an estimated SR20bn ($5bn) contract to develop and operate the Asir-Jizan highway on a public-private partnership basis, as Saudi Arabia presses ahead with its privatisation pipeline for major transport infrastructure.
The bidding groups pair Saudi firms with partners from China, Australia and Turkey: Lamar Holding with Shaanxi Construction Engineering and Safari; Vision Invest with China Harbour Engineering Company; and Plenary with Alayuni, Limak Holding and Nesma & Partners.
The 136-kilometre route will run from Al-Farah in Asir to the Red Sea through Jizan, carrying three lanes in each direction across 57 bridges and 11 tunnels. Saudi Arabia’s Roads General Authority, the National Centre for Privatisation & PPP, and the Aseer Development Authority are jointly managing the tender.
The contract will follow a 30-year design-build-finance-operate-maintain structure — one of four highway schemes now moving through the Kingdom’s PPP pipeline.
Source: MEED