Business & Money | Thursday 2 April, 2015 1:53 am |

Prince Faisal bin Salman, governor of Madinah and chairman of Madinah Development Authority (MDA), on Wednesday signed a contract with Louis Berger to be the program management office consultant (PMOC) for implementation of the Madinah Public Transportation Program (MPTP), one of the most ambitious transportation infrastructure initiatives in the Middle East. The value of the PMOC contract is approximately SR375 million ($100 million).
The MDA event kicks off an ambitious phase of the Saudi government organization’s MPTP initiative. MDA’s vision is to prepare Madinah to meet the expectations of both permanent residents and visitors through 2040.

With a major expansion of both the Prophet’s Mosque and to the city’s airport, projections indicate as many as 8.6 million Umrah visitors and 3.6 million Haj pilgrims will visit the city in 2040. The program will address current and future challenges related to crowding, traffic congestion and environmental pollution caused by vehicle emissions.
“We could not be prouder to be associated with MDA in the implementation of the MPTP for the holy city of Madinah,” said D. James Stamatis, president of Louis Berger’s international operations. “The implementation of an advanced public transportation system will endow Madinah with one of the most advanced transportation systems in the world.”

The PMOC contract will extend over a five-year period, during which time Louis Berger will support and assist with MPTP’s strategic planning as well as control, guide, oversee, coordinate and integrate service delivery of the various project and construction management consultants, any other consultants, advisers and third parties across MPTP projects. In addition, Louis Berger will be fully integrated with the MDA management team. Together, they will act as one organization.
The MPTP includes a comprehensive metro and bus network, as well as substantial upgrades and new construction for the primary road network. It also provides relevant facilities, such as stations, park-and-ride lots, depots, and advanced intelligent transportation systems (ITS).
To promote knowledge sharing and ensure the sustainability of the project, Louis Berger will establish a talent development program allowing senior Saudi MDA personnel to follow PMOC senior managers.

The program aims to train and equip Saudi professionals with the management skills and technical capabilities to eventually take over the same positions they once shadowed before implementation is complete.
“Once completed, MPTP will boast world-class transportation facilities, enabling the city to ensure the safety of its citizens, visitors and pilgrims — all while enabling greater knowledge transfer and training for Saudi professionals,” said Thomas Topolski, Louis Berger’s executive vice president and managing director, Middle East and North Africa.