NEOM accelerates vertiport infrastructure for flying cars
Saudi Arabia is accelerating its
plans for advanced air mobility, with vertiport infrastructure design already
underway in NEOM, according to Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. Speaking
to Arabian Business, Walker confirmed that the company has been
collaborating with NEOM “for a couple of years” to develop a network blueprint
and passenger facilities that align with the futuristic vision of the
giga-project.
The initiative focuses on two main
areas: establishing an initial “day-one” vertiport network across NEOM and
designing passenger terminals that reflect the city’s innovative character.
Walker emphasized the importance of precision at the launch phase before
broader expansion, describing the opportunity as “huge.”
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While NEOM remains the most advanced
project, Walker revealed that other regions in the Kingdom are also showing
strong interest. He noted that Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing cities, traffic
congestion, and technology-driven policies make it a prime market for air
mobility solutions. The Public Investment Fund (PIF), already invested in
electric vehicle ventures such as Lucid and Ceer, is reportedly exploring
funding opportunities in the advanced air mobility sector as part of its wider
transport ecosystem.
Walker highlighted Riyadh’s traffic
congestion as a potential catalyst for early vertiport deployment once the NEOM
model proves successful. He added that Saudi Arabia’s scale, governance
coordination, and unified approach give it an edge over other markets.
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“The Middle East has the
coordination this industry needs—between regulators, transport authorities, and
airspace management,” Walker said. “Saudi has the scale, ambition, and demand
to lead globally in aerial mobility.”
Source: Arabian Business
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