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.”
HIGH-TECH LOGISTICS HUB
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.
AERONAUTICS DEAL
The Saudi government is also making great strides in attracting high-end
manufacturing and technology industries to the kingdom.
Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), a wholly owned subsidiary of
the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the National Champion of Military
Industries Localization, signed a JV agreement with France’s Figeac
Aero Group, and the Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company
(Dussur), to launch the Sami Figeac Aero Manufacturing LLC, which will
build a high-precision manufacturing facility for the production of
aerostructure components.
“The JV aims to develop Saudi Arabia’s aerostructure manufacturing
capabilities, train Saudi engineers and technicians to work as part of the
project, and boost the localisation of military and civil aerospace
industries in line with Saudi Vision 2030. Initial products will focus on
machining and processing of light alloy (aluminium) and hard metal
(titanium) aerospace parts,” according to the company