Saudi Arabia's Metro Jeddah Company (MJC) intends to issue tenders to the private sector for the execution of key parts of a master transport plan, which also includes a metro system, for the Western Red Sea port of Jeddah, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.

The tenders will be issued once the budgets for the Metro and other parts of the master transportation plan are approved by the government, the Arabic language daily Aliqtisadiah said, quoting Jeddah's mayor Hani Aburas.

He said the project has a total cost of round 45 billion riyals ($12 billion) and includes the construction of a metro, a light railway, a causeway, a marine taxi system and road expansion for buses.

The project, which was endorsed in 2014, is expected to be completed in 2022 and will be fully commissioned in 2025, he said.

The paper did not mention what projects would be offered to the private sector but Saudi officials have earlier said there are plans to issue tenders for three parts of the master transport plan  to the private sector.

These include the Corniche (seaside) Tram in the Northern part of Jeddah, the marine taxi (ferry) linking Jeddah to Obhur Bay on the Northern Red Sea coastline, and the Obhur Causeway for linking the Northern and Southern parts of the bay.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@thomsonreuters.com)

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