Saudi Arabia promotes sci-fi city vision

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – If you’ve recently seen a mysterious Bladerunner-style ad pop up on your phone for Neom in Saudi Arabia and wondered what the hell you’re looking at, it’s not worth it. surprise – this future desert development is astounding in its ambition.

With a huge budget of $500 billion, Neom is a key player in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan originally launched in 2016 as part of the kingdom’s mission to diversify away from an oil-dependent economy. Excavation work begins this month along the entire length of the project.

The development has received much skepticism around its viability, with a series of articles in publications ranging from The Guardian to Financial Times which included comments from architects concluding the project was a pipe dream. Other critics note that its carbon footprint is among broader concerns.

Located on a coastal strip in Tabuk in the northwest of the country, there are three areas of Neom that have been officially announced – mainly The Line, a linear city with a Utopian setting that resembles a Hollywood movie .

Consisting of two parallel skyscrapers that cut across the desert 170 kilometers from coast to mountains, The Line will be 200 meters wide and soar 500 meters (higher than most towers in the world) – and more surreal touch, will be surrounded on all sides by giant mirrors.

The project is based on a new concept of “zero-gravity city”, which is the idea of ​​layering city functions vertically, while allowing residents to move continuously in three directions (up, down and down). via). When completed, it can accommodate up to 9 million residents.

Skepticism towards the project is something Neom leaders acknowledge but strongly oppose.

“I want to be clear about this – Neom is a complex, bold, ambitious undertaking and certainly not an easy one to do,” says Antoni Vives, urban planning director at Neom. with CNBC.

“But we’re making strong progress and it’s exciting to see the vision come to fruition.”

Although the construction of this “Oz of the Middle East” is in its early stages, there is already a push to attract top international talent in industries such as tourism, technology and entertainment. and work. And there seems to be a lot of cash on the table to attract talent, with some reports suggest that Neom is paying top executives up to $1.1 million a year.

For those taking the leap, they’ll be signing up for a world with no roads, no cars – only flying taxis – plus high-speed rail with a terminal transit time of just 20 minutes. Then there are robot avatars and holograms that are set to become part of everyday life.

Other planned Neom sites are Oxagon, the “gateway to clean and advanced industries,” which will become the world’s largest floating industrial complex – and Trojena, a year-round destination with atmosphere. Quality dry mountains, ski slopes, mountain biking, water sports, wellness facilities and interactive nature reserves.

According to the planners, each area will only be powered by renewable energy, be sustainably connected and be surrounded by nature which will be green and renewable.

Aside from the buzz surrounding mind-shaping Neom, there’s a bigger picture emerging in the world’s fastest growing economy. According to global real estate consulting firm Knight Frank, the total value of real estate and infrastructure projects since Saudi Arabia’s National Transformation Plan for 2016 has now surpassed $1.1 trillion.

“We’re currently tracking 15 giga projects in various stages of construction around the Kingdom, many of which are new independent megacities at their disposal,” said Harmen de Jong of Knight Frank, partner and head of real estate strategy and consulting for Saudi, commented. Arabic.

For longtime business owners working in the Middle East, Neom represents a new era. “I believe this project is unprecedented and will drive innovation and technology like we have never seen before,” said Catherine Granger, CEO of regional artificial intelligence specialist Trajan Consulting, told CNBC.

AI is considered the “beating heart” of Neom, as outlined at the recent Global AI Summit in Riyadh.

Granger’s company has worked closely with Neom, and she believes the view of Saudi Arabia in the business community has changed dramatically. “Global multinationals now view the country as one of the most prolific business hubs in the world,” she said.

Indeed, Neom is positioned to potentially become a global gateway for international trade, especially because of its strategic location on the Red Sea that almost 13% of the world’s trade passes – plus 40% of the global population flies within six hours of flight.

In addition to attracting strong business investment, Neom has big plans for the worlds of art and culture, having recently opened Neom Media Village and Bajdah Desert Studios, which include sound stages and facilities The country’s largest film production support agency. The aim is to transform and grow the kingdom’s media industry – another major focus of the Vision 2030 plan.