Virgin Hyperloop One executives together with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz has unveiled the Vision 2030 Hyperloop Pod.
The pod, which was unveiled during Prince Salman’s visit to the US, further cements the commitment between the Kingdom and VHO to bring hyperloop technology to Saudi Arabia.
“We’re look forward to advancing the relationship between KSA and VHO while we develop innovative transport technologies like hyperloop, accelerating Vision 2030 objectives to transform the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from a technology consumer to a technology innovator” said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. “Hyperloop is the catalyst to enable all 4th generation technologies to flourish in the Kingdom while creating a vibrant society and thriving economy through visionary cities and high-tech clusters.”
With speeds 2-3 times faster than high-speed rail and an on-demand, direct to destination experience, hyperloop technology can reduce journey times across the kingdom, exponentially increasing connectivity across not only across KSA but throughout the GCC. Traveling from Riyadh to Jeddah would take 76 minutes (currently over 10 hours) utilising the land bridge for both passenger and freight movement, positioning KSA as the gateway to 3 continents. Traveling from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi would take 48 minutes (currently over 8.5 hours).
“Our continued support from HRH and collaboration with Vision 2030 will allow the VHO system to connect with cities across the Kingdom turning commute times from hours into minutes” said Josh Giegel, Co-Founder and CTO of Virgin Hyperloop One. “It was an honor to host HRH the Crown Prince and advance our discussions around the implementation of the hyperloop system and Innovation Center facility, enabling Vision 2030 to nurture the nation’s entrepreneurial culture, and grow an innovative highly-skilled workforce through meaningful transfers of knowledge and technology.”
The hyperloop-enabled transportation sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will stimulate economic growth and diversification of Saudi industries, according to Virgin Hyperloop One. It will also nurture the manufacturing and innovation sectors, and spur job growth in support of the country’s Vision 2030 plan increasing the GDP 1-2 percent across the Kingdom.
