Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday that its new Port of NEOM, located in Oxagon, the NEOM giga project’s advanced and clean industries cluster, is open for business.

The port, which is being transformed into the primary seaport of entry to the northwest of Saudi Arabia, was earlier known as Duba Port, according to a press statement issued by NEOM.

Duba Port’s management was transferred from national maritime regulator Mawani to NEOM in 2022.  

Nadhmi Al Nasr, Chief Executive Officer, NEOM said the ambition is to build one of the world’s most technologically advanced, efficient and sustainable ports with the first fully integrated and automated supply chain and logistics network.

“Our investment to date of over 7.5 billion Saudi riyals ($2 billion) and our intention to open the first advanced terminal in 2025 demonstrates our commitment to the vision.”

Sean Kelly, Managing Director – Port of NEOM added that the Port will serve giga project’s development phase while becoming a global port serving the region.

Key contracts awarded for the Port’s first phase include:

Jacobs as the main design consultant for the redesign project for with Moffatt and Nichol, IGO and Trent as main subconsultants. The redesign, valued at over SAR 180 million ($48 million), spans terminals, warehouses, rail delivery, infrastructure, a sustainable energy network and more.

The BESIX, Boskalis and Modern Building Leaders consortium was awarded a design and build lump sum contract for over SAR 2 billion ($533 million) for dredging and quay wall construction for the first phase.

Boskalis will be responsible for the deepening and widening of the main access channel with responsibility for zero material discharge and recovery and reuse of materials and structures to construct earthwork platforms for the development of Oxagon.

BESIX-MBL will be responsible for the design and build of over 3km of quay walls, which will be built using low carbon steel frames.

Saudi Liebherr was awarded contracts for 10 mobile harbour cranes with over SAR 200 million ($53 million) in investment.

ZPMC has been awarded contracts for ten ship-to-shore (STS) gantry cranes, 30 electric rubber tiered gantry (ERTGS) cranes and six automated rail mounted gantry cranes (ARMG) valued at over SAR 1 billion ($267 million). ZPMC will be working with Siemens Europe to deliver the automation components.

The statement said the first fixed call container service is being operated by CMA CGM, which has added the Port of NEOM to their existing JEDDEX service.

(Writing by SA Kader; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)