The key pointsThe projectThe Neom construction site
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Italian engineering on shields. Webuild, the national giant of large-scale works, has won a contract worth 4.7 billion dollars (around 4.3 billion euros) in Saudi Arabia to build an unprecedented infrastructure complex: three dams that will serve to contain a lake artificial fresh water in the desert. All in the center of a brand new ski area.
After line 3 of the Riyadh metro, the Kingdom Center of Riyadh, an iconic skyscraper built in the heart of the Saudi capital, the Shuaibah-3 desalination plant south of Jeddah entrusted to the subsidiary Fisia Italimpianti and the high-speed railway line along the north coast of the Red Sea, Webuild’s new frontier in Saudi Arabia reaches the mountainous area of Trojena, 50 kilometers from the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba.
The project
Futuristic, with science fiction features, powered entirely by renewable energy, Trojena is part of Neom, the visionary project conceived by Prince Mohammed bin Salman aimed at building a new settlement in a desert area in Saudi Arabia. Trojena, which sits at an altitude of between 1,500 and 2,600 metres, will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
Pietro Salini, CEO of the Webuild group, says: «The artificial freshwater lake, 2.8 kilometers long, will be a fundamental resource in Trojena’s development plan. This project is destined to become an international engineering marvel and we believe our team has the global experience and expertise to deliver this incredible infrastructure feat.”
In addition to the dams and the artificial lake, the Italian group will also build The Bow, a structure in the shape of the bow of a ship which will overlook the front of the lake overlooking the valley and intended to host ultra-luxury accommodation facilities. The Bow represents the most complex part of the project, with a maximum internal height of 120 meters and the main inclined façade made of glass and steel.