Major Partnerships: Virgin Hyperloop One and NEOM

Virgin Hyperloop One

Accelerating Saudi Arabia’s technology and transport development

In November 2019 KAUST and Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating Saudi Arabia’s technology and transport development.

Headquartered in California, VHO is the world’s leading hyperloop company. Using vacuum tubes, magnets and transportation pods, the technology makes use of ultra-low aerodynamic drag within the tubes to achieve rapid speeds. Hyperloop stands as a potential game-changer that could transform the way passengers and goods move; it aims to deliver airline speeds of up to 1100 km per hour at a fraction of the cost of air travel. Hyperloop is fully autonomous and 100% electric, with zero direct emissions.

The KAUST-VHO MoU will facilitate knowledge exchange between the two partners. It follows a recent proposal to create a VHO manufacturing and test track facility at King Abdullah Economic City, which could propel the Kingdom to the forefront of hyperloop development worldwide. February 2020 saw the announcement of a hyperloop feasibility study by the Ministry of Transport. If implemented, the technology could reduce travel time between Riyadh and Jeddah from 10-12 hours by bus to just 45 minutes. The journey from Jeddah to NEOM would be reduced to 40 minutes, while the trip from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi would be just 48 minutes. VHO plans to be operational by the mid-2020s.

VIRGIN HYPERLOOP ONE

“Having the opportunity to partner with one of the country’s most prestigious research universities such as KAUST is a significant collaboration for us.”

Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of VHO

NEOM

“KAUST is an instrumental provider of worldleading expertise and applied science for environmental planning, assessment and monitoring at NEOM. We rely on KAUST for its expertise in a variety of fields, including water, wastewater and energy, and smart grids.”

Simon Ainslie, Chief Operating Officer at NEOM

NEOM Expanding KAUST’s support for the flagship initiative of Vision 2030

KAUST is embarking on new areas of partnership with NEOM, the $500 billion flagship mega-city development of Vision 2030. Last year, KAUST Professor of Plant Science Mark Tester was called to NEOM to serve as head of the future of food sector, and over the coming year, KAUST Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Mani Sarathy will be helping to implement a new KAUST-NEOM partnership focused on clean fuels.

This follows a long list of KAUST personnel supporting NEOM’s development. Professor of Electrical Engineering Jeff Shamma has helped advance the concept of smart cities at NEOM, while Research Strategic Engagement Lead Manus Ward has devoted his attention to introducing and connecting NEOM leaders to KAUST faculty. During NEOM’s start-up, Policy and Planning Manager Mahmoud Muati assisted human resources development. A number of KAUST graduates and former KAUST leaders have been recruited by NEOM. The list includes former Interim President Nadhmi Al Nasr, now NEOM’s CEO; former President Jean-Lou Chameau; and former Vice Presidents Antonio Valenzuela and Patricia Hughes.

KAUST has supported NEOM since the early stages of its development by providing unique regional data on wind power, solar indices, seismic assessments and analysis of the Red Sea floor, which has helped NEOM design its master plan. Recently, the two partners signed an agreement to facilitate use of KAUST’s research vessel, Thuwal, for sea-based tours of NEOM’s marine sites. The 34.7-meter-long vessel is a key asset to the marine research community at KAUST and enables scientists to collect data all over the Red Sea.