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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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Recent satellite imagery showed development at Oxagon Port in Saudi Arabia's Neom, indicating steady progress over the past year, including the construction of marine infrastructure and the launch of initial port operations and services.
Construction at the Neom port has reached 68 percent completion, according to the company.
Why It Matters
The floating industrial district, a core part of Saudi Arabia’s planned $500 billion giga-project, aims to accommodate the world’s largest container vessels, according to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and deliver advanced maritime trade.
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In recent months, Neom has undertaken a strategic review of several of its flagship components, facing delays or downscaling prompted by escalating costs, funding constraints and ambitious original timelines. Around Neom, other Saudi projects in the northwestern region are progressing well, including developments along the Red Sea coast.
What To Know
Recent satellite imagery showed expanded water and port‑area development at Neom's Oxagon. Saudi Arabia's plans to frame Oxagon as a renewable-energy-powered, high-tech, fully automated logistics and industrial hub featuring AI-driven port operations.
In November, Belgium-based international construction company BESIX delivered major marine infrastructure at the port, including more than 4 kilometers of quay wall and seven berths along that quay, with berths ranging from 10.5 to 18.5 meters in depth.
The terminal will be 900 meters long, use advanced automated systems to move containers efficiently, and handle up to 1.5 million 20-foot containers per year, according to the company. Oxagon has begun operating Saudi Arabia’s first fully automated, remote-controlled cranes.
The new port city has a strategic location in one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. In July, Neom said a trial shipment from Egypt to Iraq through the port cut transit time by half compared with traditional routes. It went through Safaga Port, crossed the Red Sea to the Port of Neom, and then continued by land to Iraq.
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The Neom Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) is currently constructing the world's largest green-hydrogen megawatt plant in Oxagon, which is being developed as a green energy hub, alongside energy-efficient AI data centers designed to operate with net-zero emissions.
What People Are Saying
Neom Port Director Melissa Blake said in a Financial Times Partner Content article published Thursday: “We see ourselves as an accelerator for the Lighthouse Operating System, using it as a roadmap for integrating the end-to-end supply chain."
David Lories, project director at BESIX Middle East, said in a press release on November 3: "Construction methods were developed to ensure that air and water quality remained below regulatory limits at all times."
What Happens Next
Oxagon recently said it was open for business for cargo shipments, with full container terminal operations scheduled to begin in 2026. The project targets a capacity of 1.5 million containers by 2030.
Update 11/16/25, 11:45 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information from Neom.
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