Saudi Arabia's futuristic $500-billion new city Neom today (June 13) awarded drill and blast tunneling contracts to accelerate work on the region’s infrastructure, to joint ventures of Spanish construction giant FCC Construction and South Korea's Samsung C&T Corporation. 

 

Considered one of the world’s largest transportation and utility infrastructure projects, these contracts are an essential element in ensuring it continues to meet its development schedule, said Neom.

 

The FCC Construction JV partners include SA/China State Construction Engineering Corporation/Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company, while Samsung C&T Corporation partners are Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company and Saudi Archirodon Company.

 

These two joint venture groups will undertake the project, which is separated by lower and upper geographies.

 

The tunnels work will extend over 28 km in length and provide separate tunnels for high-speed and freight rail services – making the movement of people and goods faster, safer and easier. 

 

The rock excavated as part of this tunnelling project will be processed for subsequent reuse within the permanent concrete lining of the tunnels and other projects within Neom to ensure minimal impact to natural landscapes.

 

On the contract awards, CEO Nadhmi Al Nasr said: "Today marks yet another significant milestone for us. The sheer scope and scale of the tunnelling work to be undertaken highlights the complexity and ambition of the project. We are moving forward to achieve Neom’s vision of the new future, which has been established by HRH Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of Neom Company Board of Directors."

 

"At Neom, we are inspiring a new way of living, making seamless mobility possible, reducing emissions and protecting our environment. We are not only making a giant leap for Saudi Arabia, but we are also establishing a model for sustainable living around the world," remarked Al Nasr. 

 

According to him, Neom is an accelerator of human progress and a vision of what a New Future might look like. It is a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – a place where entrepreneurship will chart the course for this New Future.

 

Neom will be a destination and a home for people who dream big and want to be part of building a new model for exceptional livability, creating thriving businesses and reinventing environmental conservation, he explained.

 

It will include hyperconnected, cognitive towns and cities, ports and enterprise zones, research centers, sports and entertainment venues and tourist destinations. 

 

As a hub for innovation, entrepreneurs, business leaders and companies will come to research, incubate and commercialize new technologies and enterprises in ground-breaking ways, stated Al Nasr. 

 

Residents of Neom will embody an international ethos and embrace a culture of exploration, risk-taking and diversity - all supported by a progressive law compatible with international norms and conducive to economic growth, he added.-TradeArabia News Service