American engineering giant Bechtel has signed a five-year contract extension with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to continue its long-standing management services work at Jubail and Ras Al Khair industrial cities.
Bechtel said the project, located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, is the "world’s largest single industrial development project, and is unique as a city built from the sand up, requiring vast resources and logistical planning on an unprecedented scale".
Bechtel has worked with the Royal Commission on the Jubail project since it began in the mid-1970s.
The Jubail industrial city development spans 1,016 square kilometres and provides petrochemical and other industrial complexes, major harbour and port facilities, telecommunications, and a highway system.
Jubail and Ras Al Khair currently employ an estimated 140,000 people, which is predicted to rise to 190,000 by 2021.
For the next five years, Bechtel’s work will focus on providing residential accommodation and education facilities such as an 18,000-student university as well as roads, bridges, medical centres, and power, water and waste facilities.
"Jubail is one of the world’s iconic engineering projects," said Toby Seay, president of Bechtel’s global infrastructure business.
Jubail and Ras Al Khair contain Saudi Arabia’s main petrochemical and minerals clusters. Jubail currently produces approximately 7% of the world’s petrochemicals.
Photograph: Aerial view of Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia (Bechtel)
