JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia has revived plans to develop the long-awaited Jeddah Metro, issuing a preliminary design consultancy tender for the project's Blue Line, according to MEED. The tender was issued in early January, with consultancy firms given until March to submit proposals. The move signals a renewed push to advance public transport infrastructure in Jeddah after years of project reassessment. The Blue Line will span approximately 35 kilometers, linking King Abdulaziz International Airport with the Haramain High-Speed Railway station. The line is planned to include 15 stations and is intended to strengthen connectivity between the airport, rail services, and key urban areas. The project client is the Jeddah Development Authority. Plans for the Jeddah Metro were first announced in the early 2010s and later incorporated into a broader public transport program around 2013–2014. Initial development gathered pace in 2014, when French engineering firm Systra was appointed to complete preliminary engineering works. That same year, US-based Aecom secured a SR276 million contract to provide pre-program management consultancy services, supporting early planning and design phases across multiple elements of the metro program. In 2015, UK-based architectural firm Foster + Partners was selected to design the metro stations. However, progress slowed after 2015 as government spending priorities were reassessed following the decline in global oil prices. The metro project's scope, cost, and delivery model were subsequently reviewed, resulting in a prolonged pause. Early concept designs envisioned a multi-line metro network integrated with bus services and broader urban mobility upgrades. According to information published by Jeddah Transport Company, the overall metro scheme comprises four lines spanning more than 161 kilometers, with 81 stations and 197 trains. In addition to the Blue Line, the network includes the Orange Line running along Al-Madinah Road and Old Makkah Road, the Green Line serving the city center, and the Red Line connecting King Abdullah Stadium to Old Makkah Street via major arterial roads. The revival of the Blue Line tender marks the first concrete step toward restarting the broader Jeddah Metro project, as authorities look to enhance sustainable transport options and improve mobility across the Kingdom's second-largest city.
