Saudi Arabia is building from scratch a futuristic Neom city on the coastal strip in northwestern Tabuk province as part of the country’s Vision 2030 plan.
Neom is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Vision 2030, originally introduced in April 2016 under the economic and social reform plan. It is the brainchild of Saudi’s de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, and aims at diversifying away the Kingdom from its oil-dependent economy.
Key features of Neom futuristic city
The smart city is being built as part of the Neom project in the middle of the vast desert and is expected to cost around $500 billion to complete.
- It covers an area of over 10,000 square miles (26,500 sq km), about 33 times the size of New York City.
- More than 1 million people will live in the area that will also host sporting, cultural, scientific and tourist attractions.
- Excavation work started at the project site in October 2022 along the entire length of the project.
- The city’s plans include multiple regions, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts, and a linear city.
- All the industrial and residential areas of the city will be powered exclusively by renewable energy sources.
- The futuristic car-free region will be run by advanced technologies such as human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence, and robotics.
- Neom also has grand plans for the world of art and culture, including Neom Media Village and Bajdah Desert Studios, comprising the Kingdom’s largest sound stages and film production support facilities.
- Neom project is also based on “zero gravity urbanism,” an idea of layering city functions vertically, while enabling people to move smoothly in three directions.
- Developers plan to complete the majority of the city by 2030. When completed, the smart city could accommodate up to 9 million residents.
- The region could welcome its first visitors in 2024.
Futuristic smart city
Neom project is seen as a mega project in the Kingdom, particularly for the young Saudi population as part of the liberalization process by MBS.
The futuristic city is planned to have an economic zone independent from the “existing governmental framework” and its own legal and tax system and an autonomous judicial system.
A team of world-renowned architects and engineers are working to develop this revolutionary concept for the city of the future.
Video shows progress in Neom
The city developers have launched real-world footage of the large-scale construction across Neom regions including The Line, Trojena, Sindalah and Oxagon.
Neom is a closed joint-stock company, established by the Saudi government on January 29, 2019. The company is fully owned by the Public Investment Fund and is dedicated to the development of the Neom economic zone.
In December, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman announced the development of Sindalah, the first luxury island destination in Neom and one of the most important projects supporting Saudi Arabia’s national tourism strategy.
“At Neom, we are addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity by bringing together a community of the brightest minds committed to reimagining what a sustainable future will look like in 20 to 30 years, and building it today. We are redefining the future now,” said Neom’s CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
Four regions of Neom
The Line — This 105-mile-long green city will have no roads, cars or emissions as it will run on 100% renewable energy and 95% of land will be preserved for nature. It will have its own schools, clinics, leisure facilities, and open spaces within a five-minute walk. The project is expected to create 380,000 jobs and contribute SR180 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP by 2030.
Oxagon — It will be a floating, eight-sided city, set to be the largest floating industrial complex in the world.
Trojena — Trojena, based on the principles of ecotourism, is set to redefine mountain tourism. It will offer year-round skiing, water sports, hiking and mountain biking opportunities alongside an interactive nature reserve.
Sindalah — This region offers a distinctive destination for boat owners and yachting enthusiasts. Sindalah’s 86-berth marina and 75 offshore buoys aim to become a new spot for the world’s most spectacular vessels, ideally located in the Red Sea.
