NEOM has successfully completed the construction phases of its light rail systems and underground parking ahead of schedule, marking a significant milestone in the construction of its zero-carbon city initiative.
The project achieved rapid daily progress, with each drilling rig completing three piles per day; the 10 high-capacity rotary drilling rigs were from Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer XCMG Machinery.
The XCMG rotary drilling rigs – four units of XR500E, two units each of XR600E, XR320D and XR400D – handled pile foundations ranging from 60-90m deep and 2-2.5m. The XR600E is the largest tonnage drilling rig to have been deployed so far in the construction of the world’s largest integrated development project.
The underground parking and light rail are key elements of NEOM’s advanced sustainable transportation plan.
Led by the Public Investment Fund, NEOM will be a futuristic region in northwest Saudi Arabia powered entirely by renewable energy – and the sustainable protocol extends to all transportation networks and facilities.
More than 140,000 construction workers have been engaged on-site since the first ground was broken in 2017. It was also announced in July that in addition to transport infrastructure, various ongoing projects are set to receive cement worth US $27.7mn thanks to a partnership between Saudi Arabia’s Al Jouf Cement Co. and Italy’s Webuild SpA.
