SNC-Lavalin, a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, has been awarded a project management services contract by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City for the operations and maintenance of its bus network as part of the King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project. The project is dedicated to building, operating, and developing a world-class rapid transport network for Riyadh, providing comfortable, affordable and time-saving mobility options for all people living in the city.

The King Abdulaziz Project for Riyadh Public Transport will offer metro services and a comprehensive bus network. Combined, the project will have a capacity of 1.7 million passengers daily in the initial operation phase. The Riyadh Metro Project, including six lines and 86 metro stations, is the backbone of the public transport network in Riyadh. The Riyadh Bus Project, including 80 routes and 2,860 bus stations served by 842 buses, is fully integrated with the metro network, connecting the districts of Riyadh with the business and commercial centers. With the capacity to transport more than 500,000 passengers, the bus network will serve as a primary means of transportation within residential districts. The King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project began its first phase of operation in March this year.

As part of the contract, which is a joint venture with Dorsch Holding GmbH, SNC-Lavalin will provide project management and site supervision services for the O and M of the Riyadh bus network, including managing all assets related to the automatic vehicle management and automatic fare collection systems, and intelligent infrastructure through a computerized maintenance management system. By using its digital solutions to analyze the data from the bus tracking system, the company aims to increase the accuracy of the forecast demand to optimize the bus service delivery for the population of Riyadh. In addition, a passenger guidance and information system will be used to increase the efficiency of the network operation, providing passengers with real time updates about their trip and bus schedules. For the past four years, SNC-Lavalin has successfully delivered program management and supervision services for the O and M of Riyadh Metro, which is the largest public transport network project in the world. 

“The King Abdulaziz Public Transport Project is one of the most ambitious plans set by RCRC to provide integrated transport solutions, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance the quality of life for the people of Riyadh,” said Mohamed Youssef, senior vice president, projects and O and M, engineering services, Middle East and Africa, SNC-Lavalin. “This contract win underpins our continuous commitment to supporting Saudi Vision 2030 and our stellar reputation as the trusted partner of choice for world-class O and M services across the region. By working closely with RCRC and our JV partner, we’ll ensure the project is delivered to the highest environmental, quality and safety standards by providing our engineering excellence, digital services and net-zero solutions.”