Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman wants to create a monument for himself during his lifetime. The prestige Neom project is intended to prepare his country for a future in which oil is no longer the only major source of income for the Saudis’ prosperity. “Neom” stands for “New Future” and is formed as a mixture of the Greek word “neo” (“new”) and the first letter of the Arabic word “Mostaqbal” (“future”).
The country is prepared to spend an unimaginable sum on the project: according to estimates, the planned expenditure will be up to 1.5 trillion US dollars – and will mean an unprecedented effort for the building contractors involved. Because the projects are diverse and arise virtually from nothing.
Nine million people in the desert
The most complex project is probably the band city “The Line”, which will one day provide a home for nine million people over a length of 170 kilometers. Recently, the plans stalled a bit: the government had actually planned for 1.5 million inhabitants by 2030, but now there will probably be “only” 300,000 people. This is mainly because the city will not be long enough in the next six years and only 2.4 of the planned 170 kilometers can probably be completed.
The tight schedule is apparently already causing difficulties. Many experts also view the project critically. This is about human rights and the treatment of people who live in the areas where parts of Neom are to be built. The plans for Neom include the resettlement of Bedouins who have settled there. According to Saudi human rights organizations, there were arrests and even killings in connection with the evictions. A well-known example is the activist Abdulrahim al-Howeiti: He accused the government of having to give in to the locals in order to enable millions of rich foreigners to live a luxurious life. Al-Howeiti was killed by government forces after a protest.
The murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi also had consequences for Neom – the architects Norman Foster and Rem Koolhaas then finished their work on the band city “The Line”. There are also repeated reports that work on the projects sometimes takes place under humiliating conditions. For example, a report in the Wall Street Journal states that a managing director of the Neom project systematically intimidated the workers.
As far as the consequences for nature are concerned, it is not yet possible to predict what projects of this size could cause. But at The Line, there are concerns that the city’s mirrored façade could have a devastating impact on bird migration. And there is a lot more construction work going on: Oxagon is creating a huge industrial city that is intended to supply the country and the planned projects.
Luxury tourism in all forms
Saudi Arabia wants to make big money with upscale to ultra-luxury tourism. To this end, the country is planning numerous new resorts and holiday destinations. These include the holiday island of Sindalah in the Red Sea and the ski resort of Trojena in the north of the country. The Asian Winter Games are also scheduled to take place there in 2029. In the Gulf of Aqaba, the most important bay for the projects, numerous retreats for tourists are to be built, such as the gigantic Hotel Epicon or the Gidori golf resort.
The projects in the Gulf have one thing in common – they are all aimed at vacations where guests don’t want for anything. Restaurants, shopping areas and huge accommodations are planned everywhere. Where possible, Saudi Arabia connects the resorts with their own harbors where there is enough space for guests’ yachts.
In keeping with its international orientation, the country announced that “The Line” would have its own legal system in which the strict Sharia-oriented laws would not apply. The country is not alone in this: On the islands of the Maldives, for example, many things are allowed that are forbidden to the residents of the capital Malé. “The Line” is probably the most long-term project in the Neom catalog. Individual buildings are expected to open in just a few years, and Saudi Arabia currently expects the band city to be completed in 2045.
The gallery provides an overview of what Neom is currently working on.