Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA), the executive arm of The High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, has launched the Naming Rights Programme of its Riyadh Public Transit Network which is currently under construction.

Out of the 85 stations of the Riyadh Metro system, 15 will be available for well-known national and international companies to bid for, out of which only 10 will be awarded naming rights by the ADA.

This is the first of a series of commercial initiatives launched by Riyadh Metro for the business community. Others to follow soon will include retail space and advertising concessions, as well as opportunities for telecom providers.

 “The new Riyadh Public Transit Network is one of the strategic vehicles for the urban and economic development of the city of Riyadh. It is also one of the key enablers to make our capital one of three Saudi cities recognised in the top-ranked 100 cities in the world, as per Vision 2030,” stated Engineer Alwalid Alekrish, ADA’s vice-president for programmes and projects.

“The income from the Naming Rights Programme and other commercial initiatives will be reinvested in the Riyadh Public Transit Network and will contribute to keep its operational cost down. This is a good example of how commercial initiatives could benefit Saudi society,” he added.

Companies bidding will get a package which includes not only naming rights, but also other benefits such as retail space and advertising locations in the station. Key landmark stations, like Qasr Al Hokm, are out of the scope of the programme, to prevent over-commercialisation of the network. Moreover, only companies compatible with Saudi values and culture will be selected by ADA.

“The naming rights partners will provide vibrant community hubs through their presence. They will be encouraged to provide an enhanced environment for brand experience that would benefit users of the network,” emphasised architect Khalid Al Hazani, director of architectural projects programme and public affairs at ADA.

Companies can participate in the tender, which was launched on October 15, by registrating on the project’s website (www.RiyadhMetro.sa). The ADA will prequalify firms on an ongoing basis and the final date for companies to register is December 17, 2017. It will then issue a request for proposal (RFP) to prequalified firms and will simultaneously ask for bid submissions by January 25, 2018. ADA expects to award the naming rights contracts in early 2018.