NEOM, Samsung C&T Commit to World's Largest Deployment of Rebar Construction Automation Technology

The agreement will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge construction automation technology in Saudi Arabia. SPA
The agreement will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge construction automation technology in Saudi Arabia. SPA
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NEOM, Samsung C&T Commit to World's Largest Deployment of Rebar Construction Automation Technology

The agreement will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge construction automation technology in Saudi Arabia. SPA
The agreement will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge construction automation technology in Saudi Arabia. SPA

NEOM, the sustainable development taking shape in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with Samsung C&T Corporation to unlock an initial investment of more than SAR1.3 billion in construction robotics.
According to a statement from NEOM, the agreement will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge construction automation technology in Saudi Arabia.
The JV aims to automate rebar cage assembly through advanced robotic welding and tying techniques, enabling the assembly of large, pre-manufactured reinforcement cages, said the statement.

Through automation, the adoption of rebar assembly technology can reduce manual workforce hours by up to 80%, based on global average installation metrics for traditional construction methods, improving safety and quality, reducing material waste, and reducing cage assembly costs by up to 40%.
"Sustainability at NEOM is a core principle that drives not only what we build, but how we build it. By automating labor-intensive processes through robotics, we are pushing the boundaries of construction innovation,” CEO of NEOM Investment Fund Majid Mufti said.
The agreement will establish rebar cage assembly factories in NEOM, creating more than 2,000 highly skilled job opportunities locally while meeting the extensive requirements for the construction of THE LINE and other key developments in the region.



UN Trade Agency: New Trade War Deadline Prolongs Instability

Workers inspect imported stones at a marble factory in Kishangarh, in India's Rajasthan state on July 8, 2025. (Photo by HIMANSHU SHARMA / AFP)
Workers inspect imported stones at a marble factory in Kishangarh, in India's Rajasthan state on July 8, 2025. (Photo by HIMANSHU SHARMA / AFP)
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UN Trade Agency: New Trade War Deadline Prolongs Instability

Workers inspect imported stones at a marble factory in Kishangarh, in India's Rajasthan state on July 8, 2025. (Photo by HIMANSHU SHARMA / AFP)
Workers inspect imported stones at a marble factory in Kishangarh, in India's Rajasthan state on July 8, 2025. (Photo by HIMANSHU SHARMA / AFP)

The Trump administration's decision to extend a negotiating deadline for tariff rates is prolonging uncertainty and instability for countries, the executive director of the United Nations trade agency said on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump on Monday ramped up his trade war, telling 14 nations, from powerhouse suppliers such as Japan and South Korea to minor trade players, that they now face sharply higher tariffs from a new deadline of August 1.

"This move actually extends the period of uncertainty, undermining long-term investment and business contracts, and creating further uncertainty and instability," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told reporters in Geneva, according to Reuters.

"If a business is not clear on what costs they are going to pay, they cannot plan, they cannot decide on who will invest," Coke-Hamilton said, citing the example of Lesotho, where major textile exporting companies have withheld their investment for the time being, pending a tariff outcome.

The uncertainty, combined with deep cuts in development aid, had created a "dual shock" for developing countries, she added.

Countries have been under pressure to conclude deals with the US after Trump unleashed a global trade war in April that roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.