Organization: UNDP Saudi Arabia, through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC).

VA No. VA24-99

Position Title: Traffic Engineering Expert
Consultancy Type: International Expert

Duty Station: Makkah and remotely

Level of Effort/Duration: Up to 100 days over 9 months with possibility for extension

Vacancy Date of Issue: 13 June 2024

Vacancy Closure Date: 29 June 2024

Expected Starting Date: October 2024

This vacancy is announced by UNDP Saudi Arabia through Stars Orbit Consultants and Management Development (SOC). SOC is a sub-contractor for UNDP Saudi Arabia, assisting the programme in implementing their activities through HR and contract management of consultants working in their support.

Project Description

Makkah City is one of the two holy cities of Islam in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the other being Madinah City. The two holy sites attract millions of Hajj and Umrah pilgrims every year. Indeed, the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages are the backbone of Makkah’s economy. However, the total population of Makkah City over the Hajj period reaches over 4 million, almost doubling the population density and severely straining infrastructure and services. Nonetheless, a key goal of the Saudi Vision 2030 — the Kingdom’s long-term development blueprint launched in 2016 which aims to cut Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, while promoting new sectors, from manufacturing and financial services to culture and tourism — is to provide quality services to 30 million international Umrah visitors (in addition to ~15 million local visitors) every year by 2030, tripling the international Umrah capacity existing today.

The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites (RCMC) was established by Royal Decree as a

result of KSA’s commitment to improve the pilgrimage experience within Makkah and to transform the city. Its primary mandate is to improve services in Makkah City and the Holy Sites in a manner that is commensurate with their sanctity, with the overall aim of enhancing, strengthening, and evolving the city of Makkah for the benefit of all. The RCMC’s vision for the City of Makkah is of a polycentric, liveable, cultural touristic, resilient, and sustainable city for 2040. The scope of this focus of this project covers the update the Makkah City Strategy (Stream A), the development of its Spatial Development Framework (Stream B), the development of a Detailed Masterplan for the Central Area (Stream C), and finally, the development of Al Mashaer Concept Master Plan (Stream D) for the target year of 2040

(Plan). Streams A and B cover the entire Plan boundary (approx. 2700 km2); while taking the entire Plan boundary into consideration, Stream B focuses on the urban envelope (approx. 560km2), Stream C focusing on the Central Area inside holy Makkah’s second ring road (approx. 6km2) including the Grand Mosque and its plazas and, and Stream D focuses on Al Mashaer Al Muqqaddasa area (approx. 32 km2). Work on this Plan via a selected international consortium of over 10 world-renowned companies has commenced in February 2024.

The RCMC seeks to be an effective contributor to the achievement of the ambitious objectives of KSA. Vision 2030 and to providing quality services to 45 million Umrah visitors annually by 2030 as will be. stipulated by the Plan. One of the main subject areas to be addressed in the Plan will be Utilities in a comprehensive manner with the aim of plugging any existing gaps and providing an adequate and integrated utilities network that is efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly towards 2040.

The RCMC is the main beneficiary of the Support to the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites Project through which UNDP will provide technical assistance, quality control, advisory services, and capacity development support to strengthen the capacity of the RCMC to deliver on its mandate, fulfil its responsibilities and achieve its vision for Makkah City and the specific objectives of the Plan while also contributing to the realization of KSA Vision 2030.

Scope of Work

Broadly speaking, the scope of this assignment will cover the traffic engineering subject area (roads, intersections, traffic flow rates, pedestrian spaces and crosses, parking…etc.), specifically the tasks and outputs being undertaken and submitted by the consortium preparing Streams B, C and D of the Plan. Within the context of streams C and D, special focus will have to be afforded to vehicular/pedestrian conflicts and separation being fully mindful of the huge pedestrian flows all-year-round but particularly during the Hajj season. This will entail support and assistance to RCMC in ensuring that the subject area of (traffic) is being addressed in the best, most efficient and most accurate way by the consortium preparing the plan and that the traffic-related outputs of Streams B, C and D meet best international practice levels, local requirements, as well as RCMC expectations. The appointed expert will also ensure that the subject area of traffic is addressed in alignment with any relevant KSA Vision 2030 objectives and KPI’s as well as with relevant RCMC policies and projects. The traffic engineering expert will also ensure full coordination with the transportation planning expert deployed by UNDP for this Project. As such, the scope is a hybrid between advisory & quality control duties related to how and to what extent the subject of traffic and traffic engineering is being addressed in the preparation process and outputs of Streams B, C and D of the Plan, and technical support to the RCMC around the general domain of road traffic by as much as it relates to the preparation of the Plan.

Duties and responsibilities (Tasks):

The expert shall ensure the following are accurately captured and addressed with respect to the process and outputs of the Plan prepared by the selected consortium:

1. The current state of the public & private vehicular and pedestrian flow rates and conditions, including any necessary benchmarking and supporting traffic flow statistical analysis.
2. The links between transportation planning and traffic engineering considerations.
3. The traffic flow and system challenges, conflict points and opportunities.
4. Traffic forecasts and growth targets for the years 2030 and 2040.
5. The accurate and sufficient interpretation and incorporation of all the above in the preparation of the spatial development scenarios being delivered under stream B, the detailed central area masterplan under Stream C and the conceptual masterplan being developed under stream D.

As for general technical support to RCMC, the expert shall:Support the RCMC planning and development departments and liaise with relevant stakeholders and consultants (and especially the UNDP seconded transportation planning expert) by as much as required to successfully undertake the above tasks within the Plan and other supporting projects within the RCMC.

Payments

Deliverable All deliverables are to be shared with UNDP team. Payment will be monthly based on total days worked and tasks performed. To this effect, the Expert is to keep a record of her/his work throughout the consultancy assignment using agreed upon timesheet template. Afterwards, a Certificate of Payment will be initiated to affect the payment.

Institutional Arrangement

Overall, the Traffic Engineering expert will work under the guidance of the Urban and Local Development Portfolio Management at UNDP Saudi Arabia Office. Technically, he/she will work under the guidance of the UNDP Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), coordinate with the RCMC PM and team, relevant stakeholders in addition to the UNDP appointed team of consultants throughout the duration of this mission.

Duty Station:

This assignment will be undertaken remotely but the selected expert is expected to spend a minimum of 30 and up to 40 working days in Jeddah/Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Adjustment to this modality can be agreed in discussion with UNDP TL and RCMC PM.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• MSc in transportation, traffic engineering or management or a closely related field
• BSc in civil engineering or equivalent, and:

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• 10 Years

Required skills

• Technical report writing.
• Ability to actively participate in meetings and/or workshops.
• Ability to analyze and assess traffic counts, interpret results and their urban planning and transport network impacts.
• Traffic flow analysis and assessment including identification of conflict points and ‘black spots’.
• Vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow forecasting and modeling. Pedestrian movement and networks.
• Pedestrian/vehicular traffic separation and safety. Traffic generated pollution and mitigation.
• Traffic flow applications and software.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Interpersonal and communication.
• Traffic simulation software skills.

Required Language(s)

Full proficiency in the English is required. Ability to read/write/speak Arabic will

be an advantage.

Professional Certificates

An asset if acquired in relevant fields