Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, the Public Investment Fund’s flagship development, is accelerating work as the Oxagon industrial city and the NEOM Green Hydrogen project move closer to production and operation.
Together, the two ventures are set to anchor the country’s shift toward clean energy and advanced industries, supporting Vision 2030 goals to cut carbon emissions and diversify the economy by building integrated industrial and technology ecosystems powered by renewable energy and innovation.
The progress reinforces NEOM’s position as a global hub for sustainable industries and future technologies.
Operations and maintenance
Wesam Alghamdi, chief executive officer of NEOM Green Hydrogen Company, said the facility is preparing to begin commercial production in 2027, following testing and commissioning phases scheduled for 2026.
He said the project is one of the most important pillars of the kingdom’s clean-energy transition and is aligned with Vision 2030 targets for decarbonization and net zero emissions.
He said the company is a joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products and NEOM, and is located in Oxagon, the industrial city within the wider NEOM project.
The project consists of three primary sites: the hydrogen plant in Oxagon, a solar field about 80 kilometers to the east, and a wind turbine site about 120 kilometers to the north.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said the project will generate a total of 4 gigawatts of power for the hydrogen plant by the end of 2026, with commercial operations to start in 2027.
The plant will be able to produce 600 tons of hydrogen a day, which will be converted into 1.2 million tons of ammonia annually and shipped through a dedicated port that includes a purpose-built berth.
He added that construction began about two years ago and that more than 80 percent of the work is now complete. Solar and wind farms have reached advanced stages and are ready to supply power for testing and commissioning in 2026.
He said the company is not only building the plant but is also building its institutional structure. The workforce has reached about 350 employees, and the company has recruited the staff needed for operations, maintenance and supporting roles. It has also launched specialized training programs to prepare new graduates for careers in the emerging sector.
Alghamdi said the company’s location in Oxagon and its proximity to the hydrogen plant’s port were critical to the project’s progress.
All wind turbines were imported through NEOM Port and Oxagon’s logistics network, along with the main equipment for the hydrogen plant, including hydrogen storage vessels and the cooling box, which is a key component of the air separation unit used to produce nitrogen. Many other pieces of equipment also arrived through the NEOM and Oxagon port facilities.
He said Oxagon provides industrial investors with an integrated ecosystem that includes licenses, permits, port services and engineering and logistics support, helping the project achieve major milestones during execution.
The chief executive said what is being built is not just a plant but the start of a new industry that will serve as a global model proving that large-scale hydrogen production is possible.
On the economic and social impact, he said the company will create between 300 and 350 direct jobs at NEOM Green Hydrogen Company, many of which have already been filled. He said the project will also generate a multiplier effect of six to seven times in indirect jobs across supporting sectors.
He said the project’s presence in NEOM will open opportunities for developing upstream and downstream services, leading to continuous industrial support for long-term maintenance and operations.
He said the kingdom’s hydrogen industry will attract specialized companies in fields such as artificial intelligence, digitalization and engineering solutions, making it a new driver for Saudi economic diversification.
Future opportunities
Vishal Wanchoo, chief executive of Oxagon, said the project is the home of advanced and clean industries in NEOM and is one of the main engines of its economy. He said Oxagon has seen significant progress since its plan was launched in 2021.
The city is located on the Red Sea around NEOM Port, in a strategic position that offers excellent access to many regions, especially Europe and Africa, making it an ideal location for exports as well as serving Saudi Arabia.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that NEOM Port is already operational and that efforts are under way to attract industrial companies to establish operations in Oxagon.
The NEOM Green Hydrogen project is the first of the major ventures, he said, describing it as a large-scale project for producing green hydrogen.
He added that Oxagon is developing an integrated renewable-energy ecosystem and expanding artificial intelligence data centers while strengthening the wider AI environment, which are among the industrial city’s core priorities.
He said NEOM Port is supporting the green hydrogen project by providing materials and handling complex shipments. He expressed strong optimism about the future opportunities linked to the project.
He said an integrated renewable-energy ecosystem is one of Oxagon’s top priorities, noting that work on green hydrogen began about four years ago and highlighted the importance of developing all components of the renewable-energy system to support the kingdom and its export capabilities as it transitions from traditional to clean energy.
He said Oxagon’s first three pillars focus on large-scale local manufacturing of wind-energy technology, midstream and end-stage production of solar-energy technologies, including solar cells, modules and raw materials, all of which will be produced in high-capacity factories capable of meeting Saudi Arabia’s renewable-energy needs and serving export markets.
He said work is also progressing on battery technologies, which he described as a central part of the renewable-energy system.
On clean and tech-driven industries, he said all Oxagon activities revolve around renewable energy, which is inherently clean.
The goal is not only to manufacture renewable-energy components but to power all industries in Oxagon entirely with renewable energy.
He noted that NEOM Green Hydrogen Company is one of the largest renewable-energy production projects and operates entirely on clean energy, enabling it to supply the same power to other industries in Oxagon.
He said the city’s technology focus is centered on artificial intelligence, and that there is a strong link between AI and renewable energy because one of the biggest challenges facing AI today is sustainability, given its high consumption of energy and water for cooling.
Oxagon aims to adopt sustainable solutions, including a major AI data center that will run on renewable energy and use seawater for cooling to ensure sustainable operations.
He said the goal is to move forward with discussions and finalize agreements that allow companies to launch operations. The plan is to start industrial production before the end of 2026 and reach full manufacturing capacity by 2027, amid rapid growth in renewable-energy and AI projects.
