The first contract has been awarded to FCC Construction SA/China State Construction Engineering Corporation/Shibh Al-Jazira Contracting Company Joint Venture (FCC/CSCEC/SAJCO JV); and the second to Samsung C&T Corporation /Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd/Saudi Archirodon Company Ltd Joint Venture (SHAJV).

The work includes more than 28km of tunnels, providing separate tunnels for high-speed and freight rail services.

The rock excavated by the tunnelling will be processed for reuse in the permanent concrete lining of the tunnels and other projects in Neom.

Neom CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr said the awarding of contracts marked a significant milestone for the new US$500bn city.

“The sheer scope and scale of the tunnelling work to be undertaken highlights the complexity and ambition of the project. We are moving forward to achieve Neom’s vision of the new future, which has been established by His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and chairman of the Neom company board of directors. At Neom, we are inspiring a new way of living, making seamless mobility possible, reducing emissions and protecting our environment. We are not only making a giant leap for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but we are also establishing a model for sustainable living around the world,” he said.

Neom is being established in the Tabuk Province of north-western Saudi Arabia. It aims to provide sustainable living and be a tourist destination. It will cover a total area of 26,500km2 and will extend 460km along the coast of the Red Sea.