NEOM announced its investment in REGENT - a prominent US-based electric seaglider manufacturer

NEOM, a forward-thinking regional development in northwest Saudi Arabia, has formally announced its investment in REGENT, a well-known US-based producer of electric seagliders, marking a significant step towards sustainable and creative mobility options. Through the NEOM Investment Fund (NIF), NEOM is positioned as the main contributor in REGENT's Series A fundraising round thanks to this strategic investment, which will help the firm advance its ground-breaking technology.

With the goal of revolutionising seaglider passenger operations in the area and further demonstrating NEOM's dedication to being a worldwide test bed for cutting-edge technology that advances human progress, the company's investment with REGENT represents a significant milestone in their multi-year cooperation. Beyond only providing financial assistance, REGENT has committed to establishing a Middle East R&D and Training Hub as part of the cooperative relationship.

This hub will be essential in enabling infrastructure and operational preparedness, as well as seaglider enablement. Saudi engineering and tech graduates employed by NEOM will be able to work at REGENT starting in 2024, where they will be exposed to the cutting-edge technologies of the organisation. By the middle of the decade, REGENT intends to conduct on-site testing to guarantee operational preparedness.

With the speed and ease of a boat, seagliders combine both. They may be used on a dock by floating on a hull, in harbours by using wave-tolerant hydrofoils, and across open water at astounding speeds of up to 180 mph (289 kph). The 12-passenger Viceroy, the flagship seaglider from REGENT, offers a distinctive and cosy ride that showcases the direction that sustainable coastal transportation is taking.