Saudi announces Oxagon, world's largest floating industrial city

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced the launch of Oxagon, which is to be the largest floating industrial complex in the world, Arab News reported. On Tuesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman announced the city that belonged to Neom- the planned cross border city of Saudi Arabia.

Oxagon adopts the same philosophy and principles of Saudi's proposed smart city, The Line, which was announced in January. A statement carried by Saudi Press Agency said that Oxagon would offer exceptional liveability in harmony with nature.

The city is located on the Red Sea close to the Suez Canal and south to The Line while including the current port of Duba. Around 13 per cent of the global trade passes through the Red Sea, and Oxagon is placed to be one of the world's most technologically advanced logistics hubs with modernised port and airport connectivity, Arab News says.

Oxagon will establish a supply chain ecosystem for Neom. The port, logistics and rail delivery facility will be unified, and it will provide world-class productivity with net-zero emissions, adopting technologies that ensure environmental sustainability. This will be achieved through 100 per cent clean energy.

The statement said that seven sectors would form the nucleus of Oxagon. They are sustainable energy, autonomous mobility, water innovation, sustainable food production, health and wellbeing, technology and digital manufacturing (including telecommunications, space technology and robotics), modern methods of construction. Commuting within will be walkable or via hydrogen-powered mobility, it added.

As per previous media reports, the United States-based Parsons is the project management consultancy for the Neom industrial city.