Saudi Arabia announced this week plans to construct an industrial and manufacturing complex called OXAGON that would float on the Red Sea and be run solely on clean energy.
OXAGON is slated to be one of the world’s most technologically advanced logistics hubs with state-of-the-art integrated port and airport connectivity.
It will be located on the edge of a planned smart city in the north west of the country called NEOM.
The complex will also be equipped with the most advanced technologies currently available such as the Internet of Things (IoT), human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence, and robotics.
It will serve seven industries: 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.
His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Company Board of Directors, said: “OXAGON will be the catalyst for economic growth and diversity in NEOM and the Kingdom, further meeting our ambitions under Vision 2030.
“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.
“It will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional trade and commerce, and support creating 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.”
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, added: “Through OXAGON, there will be a fundamental shift in how the world views manufacturing centers. What encourages us is to see the enthusiasm of a number of our partners who have shown eagerness to start their projects in OXAGON.
“These pioneers of change will establish factories, developed with the latest technologies in artificial intelligence, to achieve a significant leap for this era into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
Image: CGI rendering of OXAGON (Credit: NEOM)
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