Webuild in US$4.7bn deal to build three dams for Neom’s Trojena

Neil Gerrard Senior Editor, Construction Briefing

17 January 2024

Digital rendering of how ‘The Bow’ at Neom’s Trojena mountain destination will look (Image: Webuild)

Italian contractor Webuild has won a US$4.7 billion deal to build three dams to form a freshwater lake for a ski resort in the Neom special economic zone of Saudi Arabia.

The three dams will create a 2.8km-long lake at the Trojena mountain destination. Webuild will also develop ‘The Bow’, featuring a hotel overhanging the mountain’s valley below.

The main dam will be made of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) and will be 145m high, 475m long and holding a volume of approximately 2.7 million m³.

The second dam will also be in RCC, while the third will be in rock, with a volume of 4.3 million m³.

The artificial lake will cover an area of 1.5 km² and will have an island reserved for botanical dives and walks.

Meanwhile, the Bow will extend the surface of the lake beyond the front of the main dam. Shaped like the prow of a ship and suspended over the valley, the Bow will house a hotel, residential area, and a large central atrium.

Pietro Salini, Webuild CEO said, “We are delighted and truly proud to be awarded this important project in NEOM. The 2.8km-long, man-made, freshwater lake will be a key asset in the Trojena masterplan. The project is set to be an international engineering and construction marvel and we believe our team has the global experience and expertise to deliver this exciting infrastructure project.”

Philip Gullett, executive director – region head at Trojena, added, “The appointment of Webuild S.P.A is a significant milestone in our construction progress. We have already completed around three million cubic meters of excavation at the lake site, and we continue to excavate 90,000 cubic meters of rock per week. Importantly are implementing a sustainable approach by using all the rock excavated and reusing it for the lakebed lining and dam construction. This is crucial stage of the project’s overall development, and we are excited to see works get underway.”

Separately, Webuild is already constructing 57km of the Connector high-speed railway line between ‘Oxagon’ and ‘The Line’ in Neom. It is also building Line 3 of the underground in Riyadh, which at 42 kilometres, will be the longest line on the Saudi capital’s underground network, and the ‘Diriyah Square – Package 2 Super-Basement Works’, a 10,500-space underground multi-storey parking facility in the new district of Ad-Diriyah. With its Fisia Italimpianti subsidiary, Webuild is also engaged in the construction and long-term management of the water treatment plant at the ZULUF onshore oil complex.