MECCA l U/C l Al-Masha'er Metro Project.

[jh1]

Interesting article :

China Inc goes off the rails in Saudi Arabia while building Mecca monorail

The Chinese state goes to great lengths to stop Uighur Muslims in the country's far west from taking part in the great hajj pilgrimage, denying passports to most and forcing others to travel in tightly controlled groups. But more than 2 million Muslims from the rest of the world who are now converging on Mecca have reason to thank Beijing.

Specifically, they can thank the huge, rapidly growing and grossly inefficient mix of opaque politics and state-dominated business known as "China Inc", which has just delivered a dual-track monorail linking Mecca to the holy sites of Mina and Mount Arafat.

The 18-kilometre line opened at the weekend in time to ease the transport bottleneck that begins each year on the eighth day of the Muslim calendar month of Dhul Hijjah. Construction took just 16 months. It will soon be able to handle 72,000 passengers an hour.


Saudi Arabian taxpayers have paid a steep discount to what they would to any non-Chinese builder, thanks to a hidden $US600 million subsidy from the Chinese contractor. But the best part about it, from Saudi Arabia's point of view, is that there are no strings attached. All this Chinese largesse was never meant to be a gift. It was a politically driven stuff-up, from beginning to end, in what was advertised as a commercial deal.

China Railway Construction Corporation was once the railway arm of the People's Liberation Army and now builds more than half of China's railways. In 2008 it listed $US5.7 billion worth of shares in Hong Kong and Shanghai, in a float jointly managed by Macquarie Group, and put the investment bank on the map in China. But most of its shares and all of the ultimate control is in the hands of the state.

The Mecca monorail deal was negotiated at the political level and it doesn't appear that the company had much say in it before being announced by China's President, Hu Jintao, and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in February last year. Reporters from the Economic Observer, an independently minded Beijing newspaper, have revealed the limitations of the "China Inc" model in uncomfortable detail.

"Zhao Guangfa, president of China Railway Construction, said internally that this project was more a political mandate than a commercial project," the Economic Observer says. "Failure was not an option."

The Mecca railway was not the company's first political project. But previous ones had all been with weak states, where China had all the bargaining power to insist on importing Chinese labour, appointing Chinese subcontractors and using Chinese-style measures to push through regulatory problems and community objections.

Saudi Arabia took advantage of China's political need to be seen to be delivering a service to the world's Muslims and it drove a hard bargain. It insisted on developed world standards, nominated its own subcontractors, dragged its feet on relocating residents and constantly moved the design parameters. The amount of earth to be shifted in construction rose from 2 million cubic metres to 5 million.

Company insiders blamed the capriciousness of their Saudi client and also Beijing's political insistence to get the project done on time at any cost. But they also conceded that practices that make money for the company in China and in Africa don't work everywhere.

"The core reason still lies in the CRC's inadequate evaluation of potential risks," the Economic Observer says. "But the root of the failure lies in the crude organisation and working habits the CRC formed when constructing railways at home."

The Economic Observer says this is the worst loss incurred by a Chinese company going abroad. More accurately, it's one of the worst losses that have been transparently disclosed. Others are in worse financial trouble, including in Australia.

China Railway Construction's prospectus lists the usual palaver about possible risks - "inclement weather, technical difficulties" - and contains the usual silence about risks that really matter to Chinese state-controlled enterprises. Nowhere does it mention the risk of management incompetence or corruption or the occasional need to implement "political" decisions from above regardless of commerciality.

Perhaps that's why Hong Kong investors were surprised when China Railway Construction revealed on October 25 its $US1.8 billion Mecca railway project was likely to suffer a $US600 million loss. They stripped 14 per cent off the company's market capitalisation in one day.

The real losses, of course, are incurred by ordinary Chinese citizens who subsidise China's state-controlled enterprises but get no say in running them. For these billion-odd taxpayers, paying a $US600 million subsidy to one of the world's richest societies is just another version of a pattern that gets played out in China every day.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politi...116-17uvd.html

[Rio luv]

ألحين حجاج الداخل مقصود بها السعوديين والغير سعوديين ؟

وفي واحد من البرامج قالو انه حتى في المرحله الأخيره ماراح يوصل لمكه .راح يكون فيه قطار ثاني. الكلام هذا صحيح وألا لأ ؟

[mingrady]

The Economic Observer says this is the worst loss incurred by a Chinese company going abroad. More accurately, it's one of the worst losses that have been transparently disclosed. Others are in worse financial trouble, including in Australia.

China Railway Construction's prospectus lists the usual palaver about possible risks - "inclement weather, technical difficulties" - and contains the usual silence about risks that really matter to Chinese state-controlled enterprises. Nowhere does it mention the risk of management incompetence or corruption or the occasional need to implement "political" decisions from above regardless of commerciality.

Perhaps that's why Hong Kong investors were surprised when China Railway Construction revealed on October 25 its $US1.8 billion Mecca railway project was likely to suffer a $US600 million loss. They stripped 14 per cent off the company's market capitalisation in one day.

CRCC delivered the project on time, that's what counts most. You can't see that about many large scale public works. CRCC has shown good faith in work ethics and effort.

I am sure Saudi govt would take due consideration of the timely implementation when negotiating payments. after all, the kingdom isn't short of money.

[jh1]

Originally Posted by Rio luv

ألحين حجاج الداخل مقصود بها السعوديين والغير سعوديين ؟

وفي واحد من البرامج قالو انه حتى في المرحله الأخيره ماراح يوصل لمكه .راح يكون فيه قطار ثاني. الكلام هذا صحيح وألا لأ ؟

السعوديين والغير سعوديين سواء .
شفت لي تقريري في العربية ، مقابلين مع حاج مصري راكب على القطار :
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/20...15/126147.html
الفيديو في الرابط

[arch.ahmad]

يا هو اللي انا فهمتو القطار مو للسعودين او غير السعودين
القطار السنة لحججاج الداخل يعني للسعودين وللمقيمين كمان من اي جنسية

[swerveut]

This railway looked surreal when watching Haj footage on Saudi television yesterday... things have sure come a long way since people used to travel in caravans risking raiding bandits on the way.

We are definitely living in a modern era. Way to go Saudi's! This is one great step in the right direction!

[Mesch]

It's Hajj in 2010!

[HiJazzey]

Re The the article, it's typical SMH anti-chinese hatchet job. Factually it's way off.

[aseer2005]

أمير مكة المكرمة يستقبل وزيري الحج والنقل لبحث خطط تفويج الحجاج وربط قطار المشاعر المقدسة بقطار الحرمين


مكة المكرمة : واس
استقبل الامير خالد الفيصل بن عبدالعزيز أمير منطقة مكة المكرمة رئيس لجنة الحج المركزية في مقر الإمارة في منى مساء اليوم الدكتور فؤاد بن عبدالسلام الفارسي وزير الحج الذي هنائه بنجاح المرحلتين الاولى والثانية من حج هذا العام كما هنائه بعيد الآضحى المبارك.

وبين وزير الحج أن الخطط التشغيليه للوزارة والمؤسسات التي تعمل تحت مظلتها تسير وفق المرسوم لها وفق الخطط المعتمدة من الأمير نايف بن عبدالعزيز النائب الثاني لرئيس مجلس الوزراء وزير الداخلية رئيس لجنة الحج العليا وبمتابعة امير منطقه مكة المكرمة رئيس لجنة الحج المركزية.

وأكد ان خطط تفويج الحجاج لرمي الجمرات سيتم تنفيذها وفق البرنامج المعد إن شاء الله تعالى مشيرا إلى أن هناك لجان مشكلة من وزارة الداخلية والتجارة والحج وأخرى لتوزيع الآراضي لمراقبة اعمال مؤسسات الطوافه وتدوين الملاحظات وعقب انتهاء موسم الحج تجتمع اللجنة وتقرر العقوبات التي تبدأ بلفت النظر وحتى إلغاء الترخيص.

واستقبل الأمير خالد الفيصل بن عبدالعزيز اليوم الدكتور جبارة بن عيد الصريصري وزير النقل الذي هنائه بما تحقق من نجاح في حركة الحجيج من مشعر إلى مشعر بيسر ومرونة حتى رمي الجمرات بانتظام بفضل الله ثم توجيهات ودعم خادم الحرمين الشريفين وولي عهده الأمين والنائب الثاني ومتابعة مباشرة من أمير منطقة مكة المكرمة رئيس لجنة الحج المركزية.

وتناول ما يتعلق بربط قطار المشاعر المقدسة بقطار الحرمين الشريفين موضحا أن هذا الموضوع يدرس والعمل يجري حاليا في تنفيذ مشروع قطار الحرمين الشريفين بمتابعة من خادم الحرمين الشريفين وعند الانتهاء سيتم ربطه مع قطار المشاعر المقدسة لتكتمل منظومه النقل مشيرا إلى أنه سيتم الانتهاء من تنفيذ مشروع قطار الحرمين خلال 3 سنوات بعون الله.

كما استقبل أمير منطقة مكة المكرمة رئيس لجنة الحج المركزية بمقر الإمارة اليوم مدير عام الدفاع المدني الفريق سعد التويجري وقيادات الدفاع المدني في موسم حج هذا العام. واوضح الفريق التويجري انه تم الاستماع خلال اللقاء الى توجيه إثر اطلاعه على ماتم تنفيذه من خطط الدفاع المدني في موسم حج هذا العام.

وأكد الفريق التويجري انه لم تحدث أي حوادث وانه يتم تنفيذ الخطط وفق ماهو مرسوم لها. بعدها استقبل رئيس القطاع الغربي بالشركة السعودية لكهرباء المشرف العام على اعمال الحج عبدالمعين حسن الشيخ الذي قدم التهنئه لسموه على ماتحقق من نجاح لموسم حج هذا العام موضحا ان الشركه تقوم بتنفيذ خططها وفق ماهو مرسوم. وأفاد أن يوم عرفة شهد نموا بأكثر من 30% وتم تشغيل محطه قطار المشاعر المقدسه كهربائيا بموثقيه عالية وماخطط نفذ ولم تحدث أي انقطاعات او اعطال تذكر.

وبين أن أحمال اليوم الكهربائية بلغت 164 ميجاواط في منى مقارنه بالعام الماضي 126 ميجاواط بنسبه زيادة زادت عن 30% فيما تم تسجيل 50 ميجاوات في يوم عرفة بزياده 35% من العام الماضي. كذلك استقبل الأمير خالد الفيصل اليوم امين العاصمة المقدسه الدكتور اسامه فضل البار ووكلاء الامانة حيث قدموا له تقريرا عن الخدمات التي قدمتها الامانه فيما يتعلق باعمال النظافه في مكة المكرمة والمشاعر المقدسه وما يتعلق بالاصحاح البيئي. واستمعوا الى توجيهاته في هذا الإطار.

كما استقبل أمير منطقة مكة المكرمة اليوم وكيل جامعة أم القرى الدكتور عادل غياشي وعدد من المسؤولين بالجامعة ومعهد خادم الحرمين الشريفين لآبحاث الحج بالجامعه. حضر الاستقبالات الامير بندر بن خالد الفيصل والامير سلطان بن خالد الفيصل والامير سعود بن خالد الفيصل ووكيل أمارة منطقة مكة المكرمة الدكتور عبدالعزيز بن عبدالله الخضيري ومدير عام مكتب امير منطقه مكة المكرمة الدكتور عقاب اللويحق.

http://www.aleqt.com/2010/11/16/article_469903.html

[gohorns]

Originally Posted by Rody69

^ not just Saudis were allowed to the metro..
when they're talking about locals they mean the people who come to Hajj from inside Saudi Arabia,what ever their nationalities are,they still can use it..
the main reason for that is the Hajjej who come from inside the country they are using alot of small and personal cars to Al-mashaeer area and the Parking of AL-Rosiafa and the parking of Kudai.
and about the Kuwaitis and Bahrainis because the metro goes throw their camps.
next year it's going to be for everybody,that's when the capacity of it raises up almost 300% more than this year
I hope I cleared it up for you
ps: Mina has a special area for every nationality.

So it's locals and not just Saudis? If that's the case, then I think it's fine and a lot more fair.
Also, you are right that the locals have all kinds of weird little vehicles, mostly inefficient, gas-guzzling SUVs that are better left home (or somewhere else) in favor of this train..

[xxlagunaxx]

Originally Posted by jh1

Saudi Arabian taxpayers have paid a steep discount to what they would to any non-Chinese builder, thanks to a hidden $US600 million subsidy from the Chinese contractor. But the best part about it, from Saudi Arabia's point of view, is that there are no strings attached. All this Chinese largesse was never meant to be a gift. It was a politically driven stuff-up, from beginning to end, in what was advertised as a commercial deal.

since when do we have taxpayers ? does the article writer really knows anything about KSA ?

No strings attached ? give me a break..... I just hope no one is paying that dude for such a poor ill-informed article which the stench of jealousy is very clear.

[DAMAC]

http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/11/17/article577816.html
شئ رائع واتمنى السنوات القادمه ان نستغني عن الحافلات نهائيا والسيارات الخاصة ونكتفي بالقطارات بتوسيع شبكة القطار وايصالها الى الحرم
وقتها بتكون مكة اكثر ترتيب ونفتك من زحام الحافلات

[aseer2005]

Originally Posted by DAMAC

http://www.alriyadh.com/2010/11/17/article577816.html
شئ رائع واتمنى السنوات القادمه ان نستغني عن الحافلات نهائيا والسيارات الخاصة ونكتفي بالقطارات بتوسيع شبكة القطار وايصالها الى الحرم
وقتها بتكون مكة اكثر ترتيب ونفتك من زحام الحافلات

نقول يارب والشغلة مو صعبة لكن ربك يسخر لها من يعملها

كل عام وأنتم بخير والأمة الإسلامية

[aseer2005]

http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?se...&issueno=11677

[Makkawi.Pk]

Originally Posted by xxlagunaxx

since when do we have taxpayers ? does the article writer really knows anything about KSA ?

No strings attached ? give me a break..... I just hope no one is paying that dude for such a poor ill-informed article which the stench of jealousy is very clear.

+1

[Roukaya19]

Makkah Metro carries 66,000 pilgrims on first day


An aerial view of one of the metro stations in Arafat. (AN photo)

By AMJAD PARKAR | ARAB NEWS

Published: Nov 16, 2010

ARAFAT: The Makkah Metro, formally known as the Mashair Railway, handled an estimated 66,000 pilgrims on its first full day of operations, according to railway sources.

They added that trains had been transporting Hajis from the early hours of Monday morning until 11 a.m. the same day. They were due to resume services later on in the afternoon.

There are almost 60 Malaysians involved in the running of operations as well as scores of Chinese, Pakistani and Indian technicians.

According to a Malaysian manager at one of the Arafat stations, the trains made 22 trips in total on its first full day of operations.

"Each train has 12 coaches and can bring in 3,000 pilgrims," said the official, who did not want to be identified. "The one thing that is different here in Arafat is the number of people. I am learning lessons in crowd management here."

The station manager is employed by Malaysian Railways and works in the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur. “The station that I manage in Kuala Lumpur doesn't have these many passengers,” he added.

"The other important lesson I am learning is about communication. There are so many nationalities speaking so many different languages. To get our message across, and that too the right message, is the most challenging aspect. It is all a learning experience and I would want to come back here."

He also said that station staff had been brought into the Kingdom on short-term contracts. "Once the five days of Haj are over, then we will submit our recommendations to make the service better. You can call this a trial and so far it has been pretty successful,” he said.

“The facilities at this station are still in the developmental phase. There are so many things to be carried out and streamlined and once all that is done, this will solve the problem of the movement of pilgrims from Makkah to Mina and Mina to Arafat and back."

It is understood that although the service is supposed to be fully automated, drivers were used to operate the trains this year. The aim is to ensure that the metro is operating autonomously after two years once all improvements are implemented and it is made open to all pilgrims.

At the moment, only domestic and Gulf pilgrims are able to use the service, which is operating at a third of its capacity.

The state-of-the-art station in Arafat was quiet, with the silence punctuated occasionally by announcements in Arabic as well as English messages recorded by Arab News correspondent Roger Harrison.

Among the technicians working there was Ali Abbas Mustafa from Egypt. He has worked with Egypt Railways and was hired to provide services to pilgrims. "This is not just any other duty. It is an honor to serve the guests of God. People here are so excited to get on the train. Trains are not a rarity in Egypt but here in Saudi Arabia it is a new thing and that is why it is attracting so much attention," he said.

The double-track 20 km Mashair Railway runs on elevated tracks beginning from the fourth level of the Jamrat Bridge above King Abdulaziz Road in Mina through Muzdalifah and ends at Station No. 3 in Arafat.

The service has nine elevated stations, three each in Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. The length of each station is 300 meters and each platform can hold 3,000 pilgrims.

Costing SR6.5 billion, the new railway will have the capacity to transport 72,000 pilgrims an hour.

This is the second largest project to be implemented by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs after the SR4.5 billion high-tech Jamrat Bridge project in Mina.

Habib Zain Al-Abidine, deputy minister of municipal and rural affairs, said the railway will have 10 trains in the first phase, each 300 meters long.

The railway can transport pilgrims from one holy site to the next within around five minutes.

Zain Al-Abidine said the railway would operate throughout the year. The second phase of the project will link the Mashair Railway with the Grand Mosque in Makkah, with a station on Umm Al-Qura Road.

It will also be linked to the Haramain Railway that will connect Makkah to Madinah and Jeddah.

The railway will have 20 trains in its next stage, each with 12 carriages and each carriage holding 250 passengers. About 20 percent of passengers will be seated while the rest are standing. Trains can reach speeds of up to 120 km per hour.

http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article192120.ece

[ابو محمد]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjUGqZqZQTY

[Roukaya19]

Thanks!

From Mina to Arafat in Mashair Metro

[Makkawi.Pk]

I thought cameras are not allowed on metros

[Sdare]

this is a train not a casino