The $5 billion Qiddiya high-speed rail project is offering bidders more time as it extends prequalification submission deadline. The project is being spearheaded by state-owned Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Furthermore, it is in collaboration with the Qiddiya Investment Company and the National Center for Privatization & PPP. The new deadline has been set for 30 April for firms to submit their prequalification statements for the public-private partnership (PPP) package.

However, the deadline for the engineering, procurement, construction and financing (EPCF) package remains unchanged at 16 April. The prequalification notice was issued on 19 January. The clients invited interested firms to a project briefing session on 23 February at Qiddiya Entertainment City.

Once complete, the Qiddiya high-speed rail project will connect King Salman International airport and the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) in Riyadh with Qiddiya City. Qiddiya is one of Saudi Arabia’s five official gigaprojects and covers a total area of 376 square kilometres (sq km).

Other Projects:

Another significant rail project that is advancing in Saudi Arabia is the $7bn Saudi Landbridge with the Riyadh rail link already being implemented. The implementation of the Riyadh rail link project provides insight that the construction of the Saudi Landbridge project is moving forward. Its core components is a 900 km new railway between Riyadh and Jeddah. Once done, it will provide direct freight access to the capital from King Abdullah Port and Yanbu. It is one of the kingdom’s most anticipated infrastructure programs. The Riyadh rail link acts as the first phases towards the grand scheme of the Landbridge project.

Scope of Implementation on the Qiddiya High-speed Rail Project

Also known as Q-Express, the Qiddiya high-speed rail project will operate at speeds of up to 250 kilometers an hour. These speeds will enable trains to reach Qiddiya in 30 minutes. Moreover, the line is expected to be developed in two phases. The first phase will connect Qiddiya with KAFD and King Khalid International airport.

On the other hand, the second phase will start from a development known as the North Pole and travel to the New Murabba development. It will also cover the King Salman Park, central Riyadh and Industrial City in the south of Riyadh. In November last year, more than 145 local and international companies had expressed interest in developing the project.

These included These included 68 contracting companies, 23 design and project management consultants and 16 investment firms. It also entailed 12 rail operators, 10 rolling stock providers and 16 other services firms. UK-based consultancy Ernst & Young is acting as the transaction adviser on the project. Ashurst is the legal adviser.

Project Overview

• Project Name: Qiddiya High-Speed Rail (Q-Express)
• Project Type: High-speed rail infrastructure
• Value: ~$5 billion
• Purpose: Connect Riyadh key districts with Qiddiya City
• Status: Prequalification stage; deadline extended

Key Stakeholders

• Lead Authority: Royal Commission for Riyadh City
• Partners: Qiddiya Investment Company, National Center for Privatization & PPP
• Advisers: Ernst & Young (transaction), Ashurst (legal)

Location

• City: Riyadh
• Country: Saudi Arabia
• Coverage Area: Qiddiya City and wider Riyadh region (~376 sq km project area)

Scope

• High-speed rail line (up to 250 km/h)
• Travel time to Qiddiya ~30 minutes
• Links:
  • King Salman International Airport
  • King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD)
  • Qiddiya City
• Two-phase development:
  • Phase 1: Qiddiya – KAFD – King Khalid International Airport
  • Phase 2: Extends to North Pole, New Murabba, King Salman Park, central & southern Riyadh

Funding / Delivery Model

• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) structure
• EPCF package (engineering, procurement, construction & financing)
• Strong private sector participation (145+ firms expressed interest)

Status

• Prequalification Issued: 19 January
• PPP Submission Deadline: Extended to 30 April
• EPCF Deadline: 16 April (unchanged)
• Briefing Session: Held 23 February at Qiddiya

Key Risks & Challenges

• Tight procurement timelines
• Coordination across multiple delivery packages (PPP & EPCF)
• High technical requirements for high-speed rail

Strategic Significance

• Supports Saudi Arabia’s gigaproject ecosystem
• Enhances con nectivity across Riyadh