Topian, the NEOM food company, has inaugurated its first high-tech greenhouse in Oxagon, NEOM's reimagined industrial city on the Red Sea coast. The opening of the climate-resilient agricultural asset, in northwest Saudi Arabia, aims to pilot sustainable localized production.
Located in Oxagon's dedicated innovation district – Oxagon Innovation Bay – the first Topian greenhouse spans four hectares of state-of-the-art facilities. As part of Topian's mission to redefine food production through innovative, sustainable food systems, the pilot aims to optimize productivity and crop quality, while minimizing inputs, especially the use of natural resources such as water and energy.
Dr. Juan Carlos Motamayor, CEO of Topian, said: "This project is exciting because this first set of high-tech greenhouses enables us to control the climate for plant growth in an environmentally friendly manner, producing almost four thousand tons of fruit and vegetables while developing AI-driven predictive models for the operation of more efficient greenhouses elsewhere in the region."
Vishal Wanchoo, CEO of Oxagon, added: "This pilot aims to deliver, at scale, sustainably produced ingredients that NEOM residents and hospitality partners will be able to use – demonstrating an entirely localized 'farm-to-table' supply chain."
The first phase, focused on modulating climate parameters and assessing the suitability of different crops in varied production systems, will test various configurations and automation. Cooling efficiency will be one of the key parameters. Topian's scientists and technicians will optimize energy and water use through existing and novel cooling technologies and radiation control, leveraging in the future NEOM's extensive photovoltaic network.
Fruit and vegetable trials will identify which produce performs best in local conditions, analyzing taste, color, and texture to deliver a superior consumer experience. The goal is to provide consumers with year-round availability of local produce, like lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries, which will be fresher, tastier and produced more sustainably.
Source: NEOM