The contract to extend Dubai’s metro system to the site of Expo 2020 has been awarded to a consortium of French, Spanish and Turkish firms in a deal worth $2.89bn.
France’s Alstom, Spain’s Acciona, and Turkish outfit Gulermack will work on the 15km extension of Dubai’s Red Line, which will run from Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station to the Expo 2020 site.
Work will begin before the end of 2016.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alstom will provide 50 trains and handle electromechanical works for the extension, which will be known as Route 2020.
Thales Group will provide the technological systems for the new route, which will serve The Gardens, Discovery Gardens, AlFurjan, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Dubai Investment Park, which have a combined population of 270,000 people.
“The consortium entrusted to undertake Route 2020 was selected through an international tendering process involving the participation of 10 consortiums of major firms specialising in the construction of metro systems from all parts of the globe,” said RTA director general Matar Al Tayer.
Al Tayer also revealed that 100 specialists took part in the assessment of submissions.
