US consultants win deal for Jeddah construction projects

US-based consultancy Parsons has won a contract from Jeddah Municipality to manage the construction of major infrastructure projects in the key Saudi city. It said it has received a letter of award for construction management consultancy services from Jeddah Municipality. The company added that the projects would involve new construction and renovations, including bridges, tunnels, roads, transportation systems, buildings, sewerage treatment plants, irrigation systems, pumping stations, stormwater drainage systems, parks, open spaces, and other city infrastructure works. Under the three-year contract, Parsons will coordinate and manage construction projects and will provide other related services, it said in a statement. Parsons did not give a value for the contract. "We are honoured and excited to have won our first contract with Jeddah Municipality, and we look forward to assisting the Municipality in successfully delivering this programme," said Guy Mehula, Parsons MENA+ president. Parsons has been working in the MENA+ region (Middle East, North Africa, and the northern Mediterranean Sea border countries) for more than 60 years and has offices in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Rome, Istanbul, and Athens. Parsons' portfolio of ongoing projects in the MENA+ region includes major highways, bridges, rail and transit, airports, ports, water infrastructure, plus hospitals, public schools, universities, mosques, and other public buildings. Last month, Parsons said it had been awarded a contract to master plan thousands of new homes in Saudi Arabia. The award of the first package released by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Housing as part of a programme to build 500,000 houses over the next few years comprises 32 million sq m of land. The package is divided into 11 sites spread across the kingdom with each site ranging from 10 million sq m in Dammam to 729,000 sq m in Khamis Mushayt. Parsons said it will be responsible for master planning, neighbourhood planning, infrastructure design, and the design of various housing types, as well as construction supervision of all 11 developments.