Riyadh- The Public Transportation Authority (PTA) has called on international rail service companies and local private sector investment entities to enter into long-term strategic alliances to provide passenger and cargo transport services between Riyadh and Dammam, and for the north route between Riyadh and the northern frontier.

The PTA, the Saudi Railways Co. (SAR) and the Saudi Railways Organization (SRO) are working to develop and strengthen the role of the private sector in building and operating the Kingdom’s railway network.

The PTA said it will hold a workshop in Riyadh in September to discuss potential opportunities for the private sector before officially inviting bids.

Its call came within the execution of one of the most important Vision 2030 initiatives concerning the development of the railway sector, said Transport Minister Sulaiman al-Hamdan, who is also the head of the PTA.

This initiative is based on increasing the participation of the private sector in implementing projects, he said, adding that the PTA is coordinating with the National Center for Privatization (NCP) to set up the mechanism for public-private partnerships.

The ministry is working on expediting the process to implement initiatives to privatize some main sectors and provide the required infrastructure to form a coordinated transport system, Hamdan added.