The Saudi Landbridge project, connecting Riyadh with the King Abdullah port, is progressing in Saudi Arabia. A tender for consulting services was announced by Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR). This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The Saudi Landbridge project, connecting Riyadh with the King Abdullah port, is progressing in Saudi Arabia. A tender for consulting services was announced by Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR)
Photo: Wikipedia

The Saudi Landbridge project, valued at around 7 billion USD, involves the construction of 1500 km of railways. The work is divided into six stages.

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The first stage involves the development of the Jubail industrial center, including the laying of 10 km of tracks. The next stage concerns the modernization of the Jubail-Dammam line, adding 35 km of tracks.

Stages of the Saudi Landbridge Project

In the next two stages, the Riyadh-Dammam line will be updated (87 km of new tracks), and a bypass of the capital node will be created. This bypass will consist of two sections, 67 and 35 km long. Then, a mainline from Riyadh to Jeddah (950 km) will be built, which will extend to the King Abdullah port (146 km).

Creating Logistic Infrastructure for Saudi Landbridge

The sixth stage of the project includes a branch from the King Abdullah port to Yanbu (172 km). The project also provides for the construction of seven logistics centers in key cities and ports. This will ensure convenient transportation connections and the development of the region’s economy.

The project was first proposed in 2004, but work was halted in 2010. After being resumed in 2011, the project faced legal difficulties and high costs. In 2018, SAR signed a memorandum with the Saudi China Landbridge consortium, which gave the project a new impetus.

The announced tender opens the opportunity for other companies, aside from the Chinese, to participate. It is expected that tenders for construction work will be announced by mid-2026, after the final agreement on financing.

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