A team of 28 Potain tower cranes are working around the clock to help complete the new $22.5 billion Riyadh Metro project in Saudi Arabia. The Potain cranes are helping to build four of the six train lines that will extend 176 km across the capital city as part of the new system, which when complete, will be the largest in the Middle East with 96 stations. The landmark subway project faces many challenges, as the structure is being built beneath the city?s streets, explained Michael Koudmani, from Arabian Towers Company (ATE), a subsidiary of NFT.

The first batch of tower cranes was delivered in November 2015 and the remainder was delivered at the start of 2016. The MCT 205s are currently working 20 hours a day on a two-shift basis and are working at a height of 44.4 m. All 28 cranes are expected to remain on the jobsite for the next 18 months. As part of the rental contracts, NFT is supporting the operations and maintenance of the cranes. The project is expected to be complete by 2018.