MANUFACTURING

Saudi Arabia plans to shake up the region’s nascent 4th Industrial Revolution industry with a modern development that encompasses all elements of the new economy.

Oxagon, located within the USD 500-billion NEOM multi-faceted project, will be a new manufacturing centre designed to accommodate the needs of seven key industries, namely: sustainable energy,autonomous mobility, water innovation, sustainable food production, health and well-being, technology and digital manufacturing (including telecommunications, space technology and robotics), and modern methods of construction, all of which will be powered by 100% renewable energy.

“Oxagon will contribute to redefining the world’s approach to industrial development in the future, protecting the environment while creating jobs and growth for NEOM,” according to His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and chairman of the board of directors at NEOM Company. “It will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional trade and commerce, and support the creation of a new focal point for global trade flows. I am pleased to see that business and development have started on the ground and we look forward to the
city’s rapid expansion.”

 

Located on the Red Sea close to the Suez Canal – through which approximately 13% of the globe’s trade passes – Oxagon will be one of the world’s most technologically advanced logistics hubs with state-of-the-art integrated port and airport connectivity.

A key feature of the project will be its fully integrated port and supply chain ecosystem.

“The port, logistics and rail delivery facility will be unified, providing world-class productivity levels with net-zero carbon emissions, setting global benchmarks in the adoption of technology and environmental sustainability,” the company announced.

The project will also aim to break new ground by adopting modern technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence, and robotics, which will create a seamlessly integrated, intelligent, and efficient supply chain.

NEOM Company says that development of the project is well underway and designs for the large manufacturing facilities are in progress.

“These facilities include the world’s largest green hydrogen project involving Air Products, ACWA Power and NEOM in a tri-partite venture; the world's largest and most advanced modular building construction factory with Gulf Modular International; and the largest hyperscale data centre in the region, a joint venture between FAS Energy and NEOM.”

VERTICAL TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

Apart from Oxagon, NEOM is also working on a number of cutting-edge technologies to create a vibrant hub on the kingdom’s west coast.

In November, NEOM signed a joint venture (JV) deal with Volocopter, the company behind air taxis, to develop the world’s first bespoke public vertical mobility system in the smart city.

“The JV will be the sole operator of initial public transit routes across NEOM, while enabling an open eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) ecosystem for vertical mobility services including logistics, emergency response, and tourism. NEOM has placed a confirmed order of 15 Volocopter aircraft to commence initial flight operations within the next two to three years,” Volocopter said.

The company also confirmed that an initial order of 10 VoloCity passenger and five VoloDrone logistics aircraft has been agreed to support early activation of flight operations.

“The JV will scale-up its activities from the beginning of 2022 to incubate urban air mobility (UAM) in the region and seed a vertical mobility ecosystem. The partnership delivers on NEOM’s mission to be a global living lab for future mobility and a centre of excellence for eVTOL innovation and industry,” Volocopter added.

Separately, NEOM Company also signed a USD 200 million JV agreement with OneWeb’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation in November, in a bid to bring high-speed satellite connectivity to NEOM, Saudi Arabia, the wider Middle East region, and neighbouring East African countries.