SYSTRA Arabia Signs 36-Month PMC Contract for Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddasah Metro Project (MMMP) in Makkah

This new agreement builds on SYSTRA Arabia’s extensive experience in managing large-scale transit systems in complex, high-density environments—most notably during the annual Hajj season, when MMMP transports millions of pilgrims between the holy sites over just one week.

The Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddasah Metro Project (MMMP) is an electric, environmentally friendly shuttle metro system that connects the holy sites of Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat via nine stations along an 18-kilometer corridor. Designed to relieve congestion and enhance safety, the metro system eliminates nearly 50,000 bus trips during the Hajj season, significantly reducing traffic and improving crowd management across the sacred sites.

SAR has been responsible for the operation and maintenance of MMMP since 2019, following a mandate from the Council of Ministers, reflecting the Kingdom’s strategic efforts to enhance transportation infrastructure and elevate the quality of services provided to pilgrims.

Originally commissioned in 2010, MMMP is recognized as one of the world’s most intensely used metro systems in terms of passengers per hour per direction. Given its unique operational demands, the system requires ongoing upgrades and careful maintenance planning. As PMC, SYSTRA Arabia will oversee a broad scope of improvements including rolling stock refurbishment, signaling and power systems upgrades, enhanced fire protection measures, and passenger safety features such as escalator and elevator modernization, platform gap reduction, as well as aesthetic enhancements such as repainting, signage updates, and improved passenger amenities.

A central component of SYSTRA Arabia’s mandate will be the supervision of MMMP operations during the Hajj season, a period marked by the movement of nearly two million pilgrims within a constrained geographic area. In such a context, operational excellence, safety, and reliability are critical, and SYSTRA’s technical leadership will be key in ensuring the success of each Hajj season throughout the contract duration.

With this contract, SYSTRA Arabia strengthens its role as a strategic partner in advancing Saudi Arabia’s public transport infrastructure and continues to support the national Vision 2030 by promoting efficiency, sustainability, and innovation across the Kingdom’s mobility landscape.

“Being entrusted with the development and maintenance of a transport system as significant as the Al Mashaaer Al Muqaddasah Metro Project is a great honor. We are committed to delivering this mission with the highest standards of precision, care, and professionalism. Under our guidance, MMMP will continue to serve as a safe, efficient, and dependable transit solution for millions of pilgrims in the years ahead.”

– Silvio Rodriguez, SYSTRA Arabia Operations Director, Mobility & Railways