Muscat: The port city Duqm in the Sultanate and Saudi Arabia’s planned cross-border city (NEOM) are examples of the economic cities to keep pace with the requirements of the future as both countries seek to focus on economic diversification, attract investments, and provide a new way of living in line with the developments witnessed by the world.
NEOM is an exceptional project that is perceived differently, a city without vehicles, a life without noise. Thus, Neom was planned to be one of the urban models of the future.
The city was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in 2017. He said it will operate independently from the existing governmental framework with its own tax and labour laws and an autonomous judicial system.
The initiative emerged from Saudi Vision 2030, a plan that seeks to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors. The city stretches over an area of 26,500 square kilometres, with investments of over $500 billion.
It is planned that the first phase of the city will be ready in 2025 and that the megaproject will be fully complete over the next 30 to 50 years.
The project highlights NEOM’s never-before-seen approach to 21st-century urban design. People and nature will reclaim the space once occupied by the car and congested roads through infrastructure that works in harmony with the environment, creating vistas of beauty and tranquility.
Communities will be powered by various types of renewable energy, allowing industry back into the heart of communities and creating an environment free from pollution. This pedestrian-first approach ensures the communities are built around people, not cars, easily accessible and designed for convenience and walkability. Essential services and amenities will be accessible within a five-minute walk.
Infrastructure and support services — including transportation, utilities, digital infrastructure, and logistics — will be seamlessly integrated into dedicated spaces running in an invisible layer along the line.
High-speed transportation will make long commutes a thing of the past, making life simple and stress-free. So far, some infrastructure projects have been completed, including NEOM’s airport, and the construction of the residential area for construction workers, which will accommodate approximately 30,000 workers.
The city will supply carbon-free hydrogen to power buses and trucks around the world by 2025 and eliminate three million tonnes per year (TPY) of CO2 emissions and smog-forming emissions and other pollutants from the equivalent of over 700,000 cars.
The joint venture project with NEOM and ACWA Power is based on proven, world-class technology and will include the innovative integration of over four gigawatts of renewable power from solar, wind and storage; production of 650 tonnes per day of hydrogen by electrolysis using thyssenkrupp technology through Air Products’ exclusive strategic cooperation agreement; production of nitrogen by air separation using Air Products technology; and production of 1.2 million tonnes per year of carbon-free ammonia using Haldor Topsoe technology through Air Products’ global alliance agreement.
Duqm
Duqm Economic Zone will be able to attract investment due to its strategic location and enhance its position as a regional centre for industrial, logistics, commercial, and tourism.
By offering facilities according to the highest standards, the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones is trying to keep pace with the aspirations of investors by providing them land with an integrated package of incentives and facilities.
In addition to the economic role, Duqm is considered one of the tourist attractions due to its atmosphere, charming beaches, and other attractions, including the rock garden.
Duqm hosts a wide range of hotels that provide services to investors and tourists, while work is under way on several new tourism projects.
The Duqm Refinery project, which is being built with Omani-Kuwaiti investments, is one of the projects supporting the petrochemical industries. With a completion rate of over 84 per cent, the project is designed to process crude oil and produce a wide range of oil derivatives.
One of the most important projects is the facility to store oil in large quantities, on an area of 1,600 hectares in Ras Markaz, which has been linked by a set of pipelines.
The total storage capacity is 5 million barrels of crude oil.
On the other side of Duqm, a multi-purpose port has been established to receive large fishing vessels and food vessels, connected to a food industries area, aimed at meeting the need for investment in the food industries.
There are currently many investment projects in Duqm, including the Karwa Motors bus factory, which is a Qatari investment with a capacity to produce 200 buses this year.
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