Bechtel Celebrates Opening of Riyadh Metro Project

BACS Consortium delivers first phase of Middle East’s largest metro system

Bechtel welcomed the official inauguration of theRiyadh Metro network. As Saudi Arabia’s first underground railway project, the Riyadh Metro is expected toinitially serve 1.2 million daily passengers, with ultimately a planned maximum capacity of 3.6 million passengers daily.

The project was delivered by the BACS consortium, which includes Bechtel, Almabani General Contractors, Consolidated Contractors Company and Siemens. The consortium was responsible for the design, construction, testing, commissioning and integration of the network’s Blue Line (line 1), operational today, and the Red Line (line 2), set to officially commence passenger operations soon.

“The Riyadh Metro will transform travel in Saudi Arabia by offering a more sustainable and efficient mode of transportation for millions of people,” said Darren Mort, President of Bechtel’s Infrastructurebusiness. “As one of the most complex projects that Bechtel has ever undertaken, I am especially proud of our team for overcoming many technical challenges and completing this project with the utmost skill and ingenuity. Bechtel is honored to have played a leading role in delivering this iconic metro network.”

The 85-station, 6-line Riyadh Metro Project is being launched in stages. The Blue Line is one of the first to partially open and will run north to south through Downtown Riyadh. The line will run by several notablestations, including the iconic King Abdullah Financial District Station with its undulating roof, and the STC

Olaya Station, located more than 100 feet below ground.

Other key components of the project, include:

• The BACS consortium also built the Red Line which runs east to west. Together, the Blue and Red lines cover 63.1-kilometers of track and 40 stations.
• Sustainability has been a central feature of the project with renewable energy providing power to some of the stations. It is estimated that the Riyadh Metro will play a pivotal role in increasing the current public transport share in the city from 2% to 18% by 2030.

Bechtel Chairman and CEO, Brendan Bechtel, reflected on today’s milestone in a new blog on bechtel.com. Bechtel has worked in Saudi Arabia for more than 80 years developing megaprojects from oil and gas facilities to airports and critical infrastructure. Learn more about the Riyadh Metro Project at bechtel.com.