The Neom Industrial City “Oxagone”—announced yesterday by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Board of Directors of NEOM—aims to establish a true circular economy with a collaborative environment built on research and innovation, The city will foster an ecosystem of education, research, and innovation to compete with existing global hubs, The industrial city is also being developed in a distinctive manner, with designs for large-scale manufacturing facilities, and plans for rapid growth to welcome manufacturing pioneers, investors, and business owners in early 2022.
Redefining Industrial Development
The NEOM Industrial City “Oxagone” represents another step within the main NEOM master plan, aimed at presenting a new model for future manufacturing hubs in line with NEOM’s strategy to redefine how humanity will live and work in the future. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said in a statement on the occasion of the announcement of the city’s establishment: ” “The ”Oxachon" Industrial City will be a catalyst for economic growth and diversification in NEOM specifically and the Kingdom in general, thereby fulfilling our aspirations to achieve the goals of Vision 2030."
His Royal Highness added, ”The NEOM Industrial City will help redefine the world’s approach to industrial development in the future, while also contributing to environmental protection, creating new job opportunities, and driving growth. ”Oxachon” will also support the Kingdom in the area of regional trade, in addition to facilitating global trade flows in the region,” His Highness concluded by saying, "I am pleased to see that development and business activities have already begun on the site of the industrial city, and I look forward to witnessing its rapid expansion.".
Seven Sectors in "Oxachon"
At the same time, the city’s industrial development is centered on seven sectors, with a continuous focus on innovation and the adoption of new technologies that create a dynamic foundation for these industries. These industries revolve around sustainable energy, autonomous mobility, innovative water solutions, sustainable food production, health and well-being, technology and digital manufacturing (including telecommunications, space technology, and robotics), and modern construction methods; all of which are powered by 100% renewable energy.
The "Oxagon" industrial city relies on the most advanced technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), human-machine interaction, artificial intelligence, and predictive capabilities, and robotics—all integrated with a network of autonomous, fully automated distribution centers to support NEOM’s ambition to create an integrated, smart, and efficient supply chain.
The industrial city in NEOM serves as a hub for clean and advanced industries, where net emissions will be zero "net zero," powered by 100% clean energy, and will become a focal point for industry leaders who wish to drive change to create advanced, clean factories of the future.
Pioneers of Change Head to NEOM
For his part, NEOM CEO Nazmi Al-Nasr said: ” Through “Oxagon,” the world will witness a radical shift in its vision of manufacturing hubs, and what encourages us most is the enthusiasm of a number of partners who have expressed their eagerness to launch their projects in “Oxagon,” These are the pioneers of change who will build factories powered by the latest artificial intelligence technologies to achieve a quantum leap in this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Following in the footsteps of The Line, ”Oxagon" will work to complete the project’s phases, transforming it into a comprehensive, cognitive, and knowledge-based city that offers an exceptional quality of life to its residents."
The octagonal design minimizes environmental impact
“Oxachon” occupies a large area in the southwestern corner of NEOM, and its core urban environment is centered around the integrated port and logistics hub, which will house the majority of the industrial city’s residents. The city’s unique octagonal design minimizes environmental impact by optimizing land use to support NEOM’s goal of preserving 95% of the natural environment, The city also constitutes the world’s largest floating structure and serves as the center of NEOM’s "blue economy" initiative, which relies on the seas to achieve sustainable development, reflecting NEOM’s focus on creative and innovative development.
The NEOM industrial city “Oxagone” is based on the same philosophy and concepts as the "The Line," which was launched in January 2021. It will offer an exceptional living experience in harmony with nature, thanks to its ideal location on the Red Sea near the Suez Canal, through which approximately 13% of global trade passes, The city will be one of the world’s most technologically advanced logistics hubs, featuring a state-of-the-art integrated port and direct access to an airport.
Features of “The Line” in "Oxagone"
Through the industrial city "Oxachon," NEOM will feature the world’s first integrated supply chain and port ecosystem, where the operations of port delivery facilities, logistics services, and railways will be unified, delivering world-class productivity with net-zero carbon emissions. The integrated physical and digital supply chain and logistics services will enable secure, on-time deliveries while ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness for industry partners.
Many of the features of “The Line”—which offers exceptional livability in an urban setting—in the industrial city, where exceptional well-being is embodied through community design and pedestrian-friendly layouts, or mobility through the use of environmentally friendly hydrogen energy as a vital fuel powering transportation systems. Sustainable industry will be built around these communities to reduce commute times and provide an exceptional quality of life while seamlessly integrating nature into the urban environment.
