Aecom, America’s largest design engineer, has won a contract to provide environmental and geotechnical support, as well as the transport, utilities and infrastructure backbone, for Neom, a planned $500bn city in northwest Saudi Arabia.
In 2019, Aecom won a project management role on the first phase of the project, which will include several thousand residential units, leisure, retail, commercial, public and entertainment facilities.
When fully complete, Neom aims to become "a living laboratory and a hub for innovation" based on 5G technology, with an emphasis on high-tech and digital industries such as robotics and AI.
Technology in the city reportedly includes an entirely renewable energy supply and an artificial moon, phosphorescent beaches and flying taxis, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Brett Smythe, Neom’s chief projects officer, said: "Neom’s next generation cognitive cities will support cutting-edge urban environments, improving the lives of residents and businesses far beyond the capabilities of today’s smart cities. It will be a beacon for future living."
Bill Price, Aecom’s programme director, said: "In order to accelerate the delivery of this transformative project, our global team will be using the latest innovations to deliver a 100% digital design."
Image: Neom’s rendering of the "living laboratory"
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