Introducing NEOM
Saudi Arabia hopes to build a futuristic mega-city 33 times the size of New York City from scratch ,called NEOM
Saudi officials describe it as "the world's most ambitious project."
It's called Neom, a planned 16-borough city on the Red Sea coast in the northwestern Saudi province of Tabuk.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Bloomberg in October 2018 that Neom would be completed in 2025, and that phase one was nearly done.
As of 2023, that timeline looked unlikely — Neom's official website promised that some people would live there from 2024, but said it would be 2030 before it was home to a million people, and 2045 before its target of nine million.
Here are some characteristics of NEOM
The Project will be divided in four parts: The line, Trojena ,Oxagon and Sindalah
It will cover 10,230 square miles, and cost Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund at least $500 billion — plus millions in foreign investment if it can get it.
Neom is part of Vision 2030: an ambitious plan to revolutionize Saudi society, reduce dependence on oil, and make the country a technology hub. Neom is supposed to draw on "cloud seeding" technology to make artificial clouds which will produce more rainfall than naturally possible in the desert.
Neom will also have the "leading education system on the planet," with classes taught by holographic teachers, officials say. Another idea is a 'Jurassic Park'-like island for tourists with robotic dinosaurs.
At night Neom is supposed to be illuminated by a giant artificial moon.
People will get about using flying taxis, Saudi officials say.
Neom is working on the notion that, in the future, driving cars will just be for fun, and no longer a method of transportation.So people might drive a Ferrari to the coast, but not drive themselves to work. Neom residents will — according to the plan — be able to choose from more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than in any other city.
The Line
Saudi Arabia has unveiled plans for a $1 trillion, 75 mile long skyscraper made of mirrored glass that will stretch across its desert and stand taller than the Empire State Building.
The Mirror Line will be a part of the desert city called the Neom - that will be around the size of Massachusetts - which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in January 2021.
He did so after saying he wanted his country to house a construction project as iconic and timeless as the Pyramids of Egypt.
'The Line is a project that is a civilizational revolution that puts humans first,' he said at the time.
The Mirror Line will consist of two 1,600 feet tall buildings that run parallel to each other across 75 miles of desert, coastal, and mountain landscapes.
Prince MBS has claimed he wants the Mirror Line to be ready by 2030, although engineers have said it could take 50 years to construct.
The building is so long that it will sit on struts to take the curvature of the Earth into account, and will also have a high speed train line running underneath its length.
Sindalah
For decades, the Greek isles, the Florida Keys, the Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean coastline have been some of the most popular destinations in the world for yacht and boat owners. With Sindalah island set to open next year, however, the Red Sea location will be catching the eye of luxury travelers and yachters.
The island, designed by world-class architects at Luca Dini Design and Architecture, is set to be the first physical showcase of the planned Saudi smart city giga-project NEOM. Since Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman announced the construction of the project in December 2022, aerial images and videos have shown some of the island’s features and structures.
OXAGON
Saudi Arabia has revealed plans to build the Oxagon port and logistics hub, which would be the "world's largest floating structure", as part of the Neom development.
Set to be one of 10 regions within the Neom development in the northeast of Saudi Arabia, Oxagon will become a port city on the Red Sea, designed to take advantage of shipping travelling through the Suez Canal.
The city will act as a port and logistics hub for the wider Neom project – a renewable energy-powered region that forms part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy and minimise reliance on oil.
Oxagon will have a distinctive octagonal shape with part of the development on land and a large section protruding into the Red Sea.
Trojena
Trojena will be an iconic, world-class destination, blending natural and developed landscapes – and offering unique human-centric experiences for residents and visitors alike. The destination will house six distinctive development districts centered around tailored experiences that blend real with virtual architectural and engineering innovations. All to create a destination like no other on earth.
