(Yicai) Oct. 25 -- Chinese autonomous driving startup Pony.ai has reportedly secured a USD100 million investment from Neom Investment Fund, the investment arm of Neom, Saudi Arabia's flagship urban development project, Securities Times reported.

Neom announced yesterday the establishment of NIF, which aims to support the buildout and development of Neom's 14 priority sectors and deliver long-term value while enabling the creation of jobs in Neom.

In the same statement, Neom said that NIF will invest in global companies, including Pony.ai, US supersonic plane maker Boom Technology, US cell-cultured seafood provider BlueNalu, and Hong Kong-based game software developer Animoca Brands. More details will be unveiled in the coming days, Neom added.

This is not the first time Pony.ai has collaborated with Middle Eastern investors. On Oct. 18, the firm inked an agreement with United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi Investment Office to join the Smart and Autonomous Vehicles Industries cluster under construction in Masdar, Abu Dhabi. As a result, Pony.ai was approved to conduct autonomous driving-related road tests in Abu Dhabi's Yas Island.

So far, Pony.ai's self-driving mileage has exceeded 25 million kilometers worldwide. It has launched robotaxi services in China and the US.

Editor: Futura Costaglione