Saudi Arabia’s General Transport Centre (GTC), the executive arm of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, has signed deals worth SR5.664 billion ($1.51 billion) with private sector partners for the “Wasel Al-Haram” project. 

Covering parking facilities, stations, and transport corridors in Makkah and its central area, the project aims to develop the transport and mobility system and improve access to the central area and the Grand Mosque, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said.

The agreements, signed during the opening ceremony of the sixth Hajj Conference and Exhibition, cover three investment packages: the first and third with a consortium comprising Saudi Alqaid Co, Moventis, and Waskita, and the second with the Mawgif consortium. All three follow a public-private partnership model, with full private sector financing.

Covering a total area of 3.1 million sq m

The project includes 19 stations and parking facilities across seven corridors, covering a total area of 3.1 million sq m, as well as a fleet of 3,200 buses. It is expected to serve 205 million passengers annually across the three packages, helping improve transport efficiency and manage movement to and from the central area.

The project is estimated to contribute between SR11 billion and SR12 billion to gross domestic product and create between 2,800 and 3,000 jobs in the local labor market over an investment period ranging from seven to 10 years.—TradeArabia News Service