China Railway Company has won a contract to build a new monorail system to connect the Holy sites around Makkah in Saudi Arabia, reports said.

The Makkah monorail project deal was signed by Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Prince Miteb and the China Railway Company, during a visit by the Chinese President Hu Jintao to Saudi Arabia.

The SR6.65 billion ($1.8 billion) monorail system will connect Mecca, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

More than two million Muslims visit the Holy sites each year for the Haj pilgrimage.

The project will be completed over two years, but will be ready to operate at 35 percent capacity for this year's Haj, which falls at the end of November, Saudi Press Agency said.

Hu arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday to meet with King Abdullah, as part of a three-day trip to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries.