Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Transport and Logistic Services, in partnership with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, has established a new multi-modal transport testing facility integrating air, land, and sea transport.
Located on the KAUST campus in Thuwal on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast, the 1.56-square-kilometre facility known as a "future mobility sandbox" (FMS) was developed to provide a controlled environment for testing and development.
The initiative will result in, "enhanced mobility solutions that are safer, more efficient, and environmentally sustainable," KAUST said in a press release.
The university expects the FMS will attract multinationals as well as government entities and local and international startup companies and bring various participants together to develop autonomous and connected mobility solutions.
As a multi-modal proving ground, the new facility will enable the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles, EVTOL aircraft, logistics drones, and various maritime technologies.