The US$ 2bn Bahrain Metro in the Kingdom of Bahrain

The construction of the Bahrain Metro is already underway.

Work began early this year following the appointment of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as the preferred bidder on 20 February 2023 through an international tender floated mid-last year. After its appointment, DMRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for manufacturing and supplying the rolling stock for the first corridor.

This phase of the project is expected to be completed and become operational by 2025. It will connect Bahrain International Airport and Seef Mall via a 13-kilometer line passing through Airport Avenue and King Faisal Highway. This route will have a total of nine stops. The Bahrain Metro Phase 1 project will also link Juffair and Isa Town as well as Salmaniya, Zinj, Tubli, and other areas through a 15.6-kilometre line with a total of 11 stations.

Bahrain Metro project overview

The Bahrain metro project is a 109km under-construction-long urban metro transit system in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The development is headed by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT).

Upon completion, the metro will offer improved connectivity to administration, residential, commercial and leisure areas. The scheme is being developed in a phased manner under a public-private partnership, with a cost estimated at $2bn.

The metro transit system is designed as an elevated urban developed in accordance with international standards and applies conventional steel rail systems. The system will feature a fully automated system — driverless Grade 4 automation (GoA4) — with a capacity of over 43,000 passengers an hour.

Initially, the line will serve around 5,000 passengers an hour in each direction and is set to rise to 23,000 passengers an hour in each direction. The metro trains to be deployed on the metro network will be electric power-driven.

Scope of the Bahrain Metro project

Bahrain Metro will consist of four lines, with the first two lines — Red and Blue—being constructed in the first phase. Phase 1 comprises the construction of a 28.6 km-long section as well as 20 stations and two interchanges. Phase 1A will be 8km long with four stations. The Red Line stretches from Bahrain International Airport to the suburban Seef District, through the Bahrain Financial Harbor.

The Blue Line will connect the Juffair suburb and Isa Town, through the Diplomatic or Educational region in the Manama central business district. The Red Line will have nine stations, while the Blue Line will have 11. Both lines will connect at the Bab al Bahrain and the al Farooq Junction stations.

Read also: The King Abdullah Financial District Development.

The metro will be linked to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) railway through the King Hamad International Terminal in the Al-Ramli area. A depot facility for the metro will be constructed in Isa Town.

The project team

A consortium of DLA Piper, KPMG and Egis was chosen to support MTT in the procurement process for the scheme. KPMG is the leader in the conglomerate and offers financial advisory services for the scheme. DLA Piper is the legal advisor while Egis is the technical consultant.

Egis revises all the project studies earlier completed, identifying risks and offering recommendations to the private company winning in the bidding process. Multi-national engineering and consulting company IDOM was recruited for the design of the first phase of the scheme. It also prepared the project’s feasibility study.

Bahrain Metro project timeline 

February 2021

A tender to usher a feasibility study for extending the Bahrain metro from Alramli, King Hamad Railway Station to the new Sports City and the International Exhibition Centre in Sakhir was issued.

October 2021

The Bahrain metro project’s first phase of construction was approved by the Government of Bahrain.

November 2021

A two-stage international competitive bidding process for the Bahrain metro project was expected to start with the request for qualification (RFQ). The private consortium selected will be awarded a 35-year contract for designing, building, financing, operating, maintaining, and transferring the project.

May 2022

11 Firms Contest for the Bahrain Metro Phase One Project Implementation

The Bahrain Metro project now has a total of 11 firms who have reportedly applied to implement the first phase of the proposed project. The companies include China Harbor Engineering Co Ltd – Foreign Branch, China Railway Group Limited, Orascom Construction, and Taqi Mohammed Albahrana Trading Est.

The others are Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Alstom Transport SA, Aradous Energy Generations Co., Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), and Virtue Global Holding Ltd.. Plenary Asia Pte., and CRRC (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd, are also a part of the batch.

The Ministry of Transport and Telecommunication (MTT) is considering procuring the project as an integrated PPP to be procured through a two-stage process. The process includes the Pre-qualifications followed by the main tender. In the first stage, MTT aims to prequalify qualified companies. The companies in question must have appropriate experience and relevant expertise to design, build, finance, operate, maintain and transfer the project.

The Applicants must submit a detailed Application by the PQA Deadline. Based on MERs and other considerations, prequalified applicants will be invited to participate in the next stage.

Enabling works design and advisory services contract awarded

By the end of January 2022, the enabling works design and advisory services contract for Phase 1 and Phase 1A of the Bahrain Metro project was awarded. Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications awarded the US$ 3.8M contract to Ireland’s ESB International Engineering & Facility Management.

The contract covers planning and designing the diversion of utilities conflicting with the metro, proposing new corridors for the diverted utilities, site preparation and road access.