A team of Netherlands-based Boskalis, Belgium’s Besix and the local Modern Building Leaders (MBL) has been awarded the estimated SR3bn ($800m) contract to upgrade and expand Duba port at the centre of the Oxagon industrial city development at Neom.

An expanded Duba port is a critical component of Oxagon and the broader Neom development as it will allow greater volumes of materials to be imported for the project. With an expected investment value of $500bn, the project is the largest programme of construction work in the world.

According to regional projects tracker MEED Projects, there have now been over $22bn of contract awards for work at Neom since it was officially launched in 2017.

The scope of the Duba Port expansion package includes excavation and dredging, revetments for channel widening, demolition, container terminal quay expansion and earthworks, in addition to the development of a flexible quay, a roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) berth and quay walls to a marine services berth and a coast guard facility.

The other bidders for the contract included Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Corporation; Belgium’s Deme with the local/Greek Archirodon Saudi Arabia; Belgium’s Jan de Nul with the local Al-Rawabi; and Netherlands-based Van Oord with South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction.

Read more: Interview with Oxagon CEO Vishal Wanchoo

A contract to complete the second phase of the expansion of Duba port is also planned.

Land links are also planned for Oxagon. There will be a railway corridor connecting the industrial city to The Line. Neom is tendering contracts to build the railway.

Contractors have submitted bids for one section, known as the Connector South, which is expected to cost about $600m to complete.

The four groups competing for the contract are the local Shibh al-Jazira Contracting with Italian companies Webuild and Italferr; the local Al-Ayuni, Beijing-based China Civil Engineering Construction and France’s Systra; the local Nesma & Partners and China Railway 18th Bureau; and the local Al-Rashid Trading & Contacting Company (RTCC) and Canada’s WSP.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched Oxagon in late 2021. It will include onshore elements as well as floating structures offshore. Construction works on the 48 square-kilometre, eight-sided industrial city have already started.