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Neom launches ‘futuristic’ project on Aqaba coast

By Pramod Kumar
Neom claims the Aquellum project will be accessed via the world's first floating marina, from where visitors will travel through an underground canal Neom
Neom claims the Aquellum project will be accessed via the world's first floating marina, from where visitors will travel through an underground canal

Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion Neom giga-project has launched Aquellum, a “futuristic” mixed-use development on the Gulf of Aqaba coast. 

The project will be concealed from the outside along the coastline, hidden within a 450-metre-high mountain range.  

Visitors will access Aquellum through “the world’s first floating marina” in a specially designed vessel, entering through a concealed underground canal.

Once inside, visitors will have a “100-metre-high vertical experience through the subterranean community”, which will feature hotel accommodation, apartments, retail spaces, leisure and entertainment zones, and innovative hubs.

A signature space dubbed ‘The Generator’ will house unique research labs for “disruptors, innovators and creative thinkers”.

An internal transit system will facilitate easy access to upper floors, transporting residents and visitors to their homes and hotels, ascending to rooftop gardens.

This new development follows recent announcements about Leyja, Epicon, Siranna, Utamo, and Norlana, which are sustainable tourism destinations near the Gulf of Aqaba. 

AGBI reported in November that Neom has ramped up its patent applications on names and logos, registering 33 in 2023, including 27 within the previous two months.

Neom Company has made a total of 45 applications to the US patent and trademark office since June 2021, making this year by far its most active as deadlines begin to approach for the vast giga-project to show concrete achievements.

They include 18 mysterious symbols, with 12 registered in the past two months.

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