On August 30, 2026, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, under the scorching sun at Oasis Industrial Park, excavators dug up the first shovel of soil on the sandy shore of the Red Sea. The JD Production and Development Smart Logistics Hub project has officially started construction, witnessed by the CEO of the Saudi Industrial City and Technology Zone Management Bureau, the Chinese Consul General in Jeddah, and relevant officials from JD Group. From the signing of the memorandum of understanding in November 2025 to the start of construction at this moment, in just nine months - JD.com is writing a new chapter for Chinese logistics infrastructure to go global at the speed of China.

Nine months from memorandum to construction start

In November 2025, witnessed by the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, JD.com and MODON officially signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation. The project will start construction in August 2026 and take nine months to complete the transition from signing the contract to commencement. The project is located in the geometric centers of Jeddah, Mecca, and King Abdullah Economic City, with a 28 minute drive from Jeddah International Airport. It will effectively fill the gap in high standard warehousing supply in western Saudi Arabia and is expected to be put into operation in September 2027, serving industries such as retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, automotive, food, and medicine.

JD's strategic layout in Saudi Arabia

The Jeddah project is JD's first overseas green space project and also a benchmark for Chinese logistics infrastructure enterprises in Saudi Arabia. In July 2026, JD.com and Saudi Ports Authority signed a land cooperation agreement to construct high standard warehousing facilities in the core logistics area of Jeddah Islamic Port. At present, JD.com has landed and reserved 4 projects in the Middle East. In the long run, it plans to develop over 2 million square meters of industrial and logistics assets in Saudi Arabia, covering core industrial cities such as Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, and using high standard logistics infrastructure to support industrial synergy between China and Saudi Arabia. Keywords: the Belt and Road news and information, smart logistics, enterprise going to sea

Upgrading Logistics Going Global and Government Enterprise Cooperation

JD Production and Development has shifted from serving JD e-commerce logistics to overseas infrastructure investment and operation, upgrading its role from a warehouse operator to a logistics infrastructure developer, marking a new stage for Chinese logistics companies to go global. Saudi Arabia's 2030 vision unleashes huge demand for logistics infrastructure, with severe shortage of modern warehousing supply and precise project response to structural gaps. Through strategic cooperation with MODON, JD.com has obtained resource channels and policy support covering 39 industrial cities in Saudi Arabia, providing a replicable path for overseas heavy asset investment to reduce risks and accelerate landing. Chinese logistics forces are rooted in Saudi Arabia, and the story of the global supply chain is being rewritten.Editor/Gao Xue