Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has announced that flying taxis would be used for transportation in the Kingdom’s smart city NEOM, as work is underway to develop the first environmentally friendly system based on aviation, local media reported.
This came during a speech delivered by CEO of the NEOM project, Engineer Nadhmi Al-Nasr n the sidelines of the second edition of the “Saudi Green” initiative, held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, on Saturday, November 12.
According to Arabic TV Al Ekhbariya, Al-Nasr, explained during the Saudi Green Initiative Forum that 15 flying taxis have already been contracted, which will start operating in the city this year, adding: “NEOM will witness the first integrated environmentally friendly transportation system.”
Al-Nasr also announced the establishment of the first center for the development of clean energy and green hydrogen in NEOM, adding: “We started planting 100 million trees in the city to restore the vegetation cover.”
Al-Nasr explained that the infrastructure of The Line, which is part of NEOM, will be improved, and that it will be as densely populated as London and New York.
The Saudi official reiterated that NEOM will be the first region in the world to rely on 100 per cent renewable energy.
The NEOM project is considered the crown jewel of the economic project of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and it is based on a city without transportation, which depends entirely on renewable energy.
In late July, 2022, the Saudi Crown Prince said that he would put the project up for public subscription during 2024, and that he expected the volume of investments for the first phase to reach 1.2 trillion riyals ($320 billion) until 2030.
