The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) has denied claims it has not paid contractors building the city’s multi-billion dollar metro project.

It follows a Bloomberg report published earlier in the week headlined “Saudi Arabia’s Unpaid Tab With Metro Builders Runs Into Billions.”

It said that payments had been made in a timely manner on the project which started in 2013 and that any contractual claims were assessed through a dispute resolution process.

“All claims filed go through a dispute resolution process in order for all disputes to be resolved professionally and amicably,” it said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic affected the construction of mega projects, such as supply chain interruptions. However, despite the outbreak, we have ensured the project’s continuity, as we adapted business behavior and construction processes.”

The Riyadh Transit Network Project (RTNP) aims to support the Kingdom’s 2030 economic diversification agenda by boosting the transportation sector and raising the capital city’s profile.

With its six lines totaling 176km and 85 metro stations, the metro network will cover most of the densely populated areas of the city, public facilities, as well as governmental, educational, commercial and medical institutions.

It will connect to King Khalid International Airport and King Abdullah Financial District, in addition to main universities and the downtown area.

The metro service will also be integrated with the Riyadh Bus network, linking to 3,000 bus stops spread across the city over 1,900 km of routes.

Source: Arab News