Saudi Arabia’s Neom has invited firms to express interest in a contract for permanent upgrade works on Highway 55 in the Oxagon region.

The expression of interest notice was issued on 12 August, with a submission deadline of 20 August.

The scope of work includes the construction of 22 kilometres (km) of road, with three lanes in each direction. It also covers two bridges and four interchanges.

The upgrade works have been divided into two sections: the north and south sections, each comprising 11km of roadway, one bridge and two interchanges.

The contract duration is 34 months from the start of construction.

Highway 55 connects the Red Sea coast with the mainland in northwestern Saudi Arabia. It currently serves as the only road providing north-south connectivity between Duba and the Neom region.

The project is expected to support the movement of cargo vehicles from Duba Port to other parts of the country and the wider region.

In July,Neom tested a pilot initiative by handling a shipment that travelled from Cairo via the Port of Safaga, across the Red Sea to the Port of Neom, and then inland to Erbil, Iraq.

In a statement, Neom said: “The shipment travelled through an intermodal corridor spanning over 900 kilometres, marking a significant milestone in the kingdom’s transformation into a regional and global logistics hub.”

The initiative was conceptualised by the Port of Neom and jointly undertaken with the Logistics Partnership Council.

According to Neom, the initiative “more than halved the transit time between key regional trading hubs linking Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq”.

The Port of Neom is located on the Red Sea near the Arar border, a key entry point into Iraq.

Neom said the pilot lays the foundation for a scalable model to enhance inland logistics connectivity within the region. The initiative could be expanded further to support transit trade and contribute to the Saudi Vision 2030 goal of building a diversified economy.