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50-510: Much of the city is hoped to be completed by 2039. Some experts have expressed skepticism about the ambitions of the megaproject . The project's estimated costs exceed $ 1.5 trillion. On January 29, 2019, the Saudi government announced that it had established a closed joint-stock company named Neom. The company is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund and is solely dedicated to developing

100-679: A memorandum of understanding to facilitate collaboration and legislation in support of Neom's Future Factories Program. On 3 March 2022, the Trojena project was launched, which will potentially be the first major outdoor skiing destination in the Arabian Peninsula . The project's site is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the Gulf of Aqaba coast in the Sarat Mountains , with elevations ranging from 1,500–2,600 metres (4,900–8,500 ft). Although it

150-538: A customized learning experience and training in advanced technology areas that prepare them for jobs in the digital economy in the future. In March 2020, Neom signed a partnership deal as a principal partner with Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team . In June 2022, Neom became the title sponsor of McLaren Racing 's electric motorsport division as NEOM McLaren Electric Racing from the 2022–23 season, with McLaren's Formula E and Extreme E divisions renamed as NEOM McLaren Formula E Team and NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team respectively. At

200-561: A four-year global sponsorship agreement with the Asian Football Confederation . In 2022, Neom hosted Extreme E's 2022 Desert X-Prix and held the naming rights to the series' Island X-Prix in Sardinia . In May 2022, Indian conglomerate Larsen & Toubro was awarded the contract for construction of a 2,930-megawatt solar power generation plant, a 1,370-megawatt wind-power farm, a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system, and

250-776: A power transmission network of about 190 km. In October 2022, Trojena was announced as the future host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games . After opening its first international office in London in November 2023, Neom opened its second one in New York in February 2024. Despite historically antagonistic relations, Israel is speculated to have a major role in the development of NEOM, with some suggesting that Saudi Arabia could be expressing an interest in Israeli intellectual capability to this end. Israel

300-405: A roadblock, according to digital rights experts. Vincent Mosco, a researcher into the social effects of technology, stated that "the surveillance concerns are justified" while further adding that "it is, in effect, a surveillance city." The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology did not respond to digital rights experts and researchers' requests for comments. Salman's vision for

350-485: A written statement in defense of Nasr and the management culture at the megaproject, asserting that Neom represented "a scale and ambition the world has never seen before" and that it continued to retain and attract more talent because "employees are passionate about what they do and deeply committed to living up to, and delivering on, the Neom vision." Anthony Harris, a former director of innovation at Neom's education team, accused

400-565: Is a portmanteau . The first three letters are the Ancient Greek prefix neo meaning "new". The fourth letter, M, is the first letter of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's name, as well as the first letter of the Arabic word for "future" ( Arabic : مستقبل , romanized :  Mustaqbal , Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [mʊsˈtaɡbal] ). Salman announced plans for the planned city at

450-476: Is awful for our sport." In 2022, former employees reported NEOM project CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr for promoting a management culture that "belittled expatriates , made unrealistic demands, and neglected discrimination in the workplace." The resignation letter of a former chief executive, Andrew Wirth , accused Nasr's leadership of being "consistently inclusive of disparagement and inappropriately dismissive and demeaning outbursts." Nasr, appointed by Prince Mohammed with

500-530: Is collective benefits; for example electricity for everybody (who can pay), road access (for those that have cars), etc. They may also serve as a means to open frontiers. Megaprojects have been criticised for their top-down planning processes and their ill effects on certain communities. Large scale projects often advantage one group of people while disadvantaging another, for instance, the Three Gorges Dam in China,

550-760: Is designed to support the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for a sustainable tourism industry. According to the Saudi Press Agency , 95 per cent of Leyja's land area will be preserved for natural space. Leyja includes three Hotels which are the Adventure Hotel, designed by Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Oasis Hotel, designed by Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA), and the Wellness Hotel, designed by Killa Design . The hotels will provide 120 boutique rooms and suites. Neom plans for 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) of

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600-421: Is in the desert, the site's climate is considerably cooler than is the rest of Neom's territory. Ennismore, a lifestyle and hospitality company, was announced as the inaugural partner with its brands 25hours Hotels and Morgans Originals. In September 2023, Zaha Hadid Architects designed a 330 m (1,080 ft) tall skyscraper for Trojena which will stand on a mountain overlooking an artificial lake. Renders of

650-787: Is often expressed by critics of megaprojects during the planning phase. If the megaproject is delivered in a country with relevant corruption the likelihood and magnitude of having overbudgets increases. One of the most challenging aspects of megaprojects is obtaining sufficient funding. Alan Altshuler and David Luberoff have found that creative and politically adept political leadership is required to secure resources as well as generate public support, mollify critics, and manage conflict through many years of planning, authorization and implementation. Other challenges faced by those planning megaprojects include laws and regulations that empower community groups, contested information and methodologies, high levels of uncertainty, avoiding impacts on neighborhoods and

700-466: Is suggested to have also reciprocated this. In line with this, Saudi Arabia is said to hope to establish an economic partnership with Israel to promote economic development of Neom. In particular, analysts suggest that Saudi Arabia may be interested in improved economic relations with high-tech industries in Israel required for the technological vision of Neom. According to a report in an Israeli newspaper, there

750-499: Is supposedly evidence of coordination between Arab businessmen and diplomats in Tel Aviv, with companies in Israel said to be ready to secure billions of dollars worth of contracts. The Saudi Arabian government is also supposedly involved in such communications. As such, analysts have suggested Neom as a potential impetus for normalisation between Saudi and Israel. It is estimated that 20,000 people will be forced to relocate to accommodate

800-448: Is to be international. In January 2019, the airport received 130 Saudia passengers, who were employees in Neom; this was their first visit to the project. The airport is located at Neom Bay, the first area to be constructed in the framework of the project. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has classified the airport as a commercial hub. The length of the airport's runway is 3,757 metres (12,323 ft). The airport has

850-638: The 2023 London ePrix , the McLaren Formula E Team and Neom developed and raced the world's first motorsport livery designed using AI . In July 2020, the American company Air Products & Chemicals, Inc. announced that it would build the world's largest green hydrogen plant in Saudi Arabia. The company will jointly own the US$ 5 billion project with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power and Neom. In March 2021, Neom signed

900-983: The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), megaprojects are characterized both by "extreme complexity (both in technical and human terms) and by a long record of poor delivery". Megaprojects attract significant public attention because of substantial impacts on communities , environment , and budgets , and the high costs involved. Megaprojects can also be defined as "initiatives that are physical, very expensive, and public". Megaprojects include special economic zones , public buildings , power plants , dams , airports , hospitals , seaports , bridges , highways , tunnels , railways , wastewater projects, oil and natural gas extraction projects, aerospace projects, weapons systems , information technology systems, large-scale sporting events and, more recently, mixed use waterfront redevelopments; however,

950-634: The Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on October 24, 2017. He said that it would operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with its own tax and labour laws and an "autonomous judicial system." Egypt announced in 2018 that it would contribute some land to the Neom project. Klaus Kleinfeld was announced by Salman as the inaugural director for the Neom project upon its launch. In 2018, Kleinfeld signed Gladstone Place Partners LLC to handle communications services for

1000-535: The "port of Neom". The plans for the complex include a desalination plant , a hydrogen plant , and an oceanographic research center. It will also be home to the cognitive multinational company Tonomus (originally NEOM Tech & Digital Company), which is the first subsidiary company to evolve from NEOM. On December 16, 2022, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources , the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones and Neom signed

1050-473: The Howeitat tribe to death for resisting displacement. The three men were arrested in 2020 for opposing the eviction of their tribe for the project. One of the condemned men, Shadli al-Howeiti, was the brother of Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti . In May 2024, an ex-intelligence officer for Saudi Arabia named Col Rabih Alenezi claimed that Saudi authorities have permitted the use of lethal force to clear land for Neom and he

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1100-471: The Neom project for a fee of $ 199,500 plus expenses of $ 45,000. Kleinfeld was then announced as an advisor to bin Salman and Nadhmi Al-Nasr as the director of Neom. The initiative to create the city of Neom emerged from Saudi Vision 2030 , a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public-service sectors . Plans call for robots to perform functions such as security, logistics , home delivery, and caregiving and for

1150-476: The United States and Germany prevented developments due to environmental and social concerns. More recently, new types of megaprojects have been identified that no longer follow the old models of being singular and monolithic in their purposes, but have become quite flexible and diverse, such as waterfront redevelopment schemes that seem to offer something to everybody. However, just like the old megaprojects,

1200-399: The announcement, it will be located around 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the town of Duba , and cover roughly 200–250 square kilometres (77–97 sq mi) of land, of which approximately 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi) forms the city. Oxagon is designed to focus on manufacturing, industrial research and development, incorporating the former Duba port, which has been renamed

1250-473: The city incorporates some technologies that do not currently exist, such as flying cars , robot maids, dinosaur robots, and a giant artificial moon. Megaproject A megaproject is an extremely large-scale construction and investment project . A more general definition is "Megaprojects are temporary endeavours (i.e. projects) characterised by: large investment commitment, vast complexity (especially in organisational terms), and long-lasting impact on

1300-475: The city to be powered solely with wind and solar power. In October 2024, Sindalah , a luxury island destination, became the first Neom region to be completed. The Line (stylised THE LINE; Arabic : ذا لاين ) is a conceptual linear smart city in Saudi Arabia in Neom, Tabuk Province, housed in a single building, that is designed to have no cars, streets or carbon emissions . The original plans called for

1350-432: The city to span 170 kilometres (110 mi) at a height of 500 m (1,600 ft) and a width of 200 metres (660 ft) sized to accommodate a population of 9 million (25% of Saudi Arabia's 2022 population of 35.5 million). The Line would have an entirely glass mirror exterior. The plan calls for all basic services to be within a five-minute walking distance. The development work of the project's first phase, Neom Bay,

1400-557: The construction of artificial ski slopes from scratch. Raphael Le Magoariec, a political scientist and specialist in the geopolitics of sports in the Persian Gulf region said that Riyadh "mainly wants to promote its city of the future." International Ski and Snowboard Federation secretary general Michel Vion expressed surprise at the decision of the Olympic Council of Asia and Olympic downhill silver medalist Johan Clarey said, “it

1450-617: The criticism and controversies involving the Neom city project. In November 2020, British lawyers representing the Howeitat tribe urged Dominic Raab to boycott the G20 Summit in Saudi Arabia , arguing that the United Kingdom has a moral imperative to take a stand in defense of the tribe and confront Saudi Arabia over its human-rights issues. In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia sentenced three members of

1500-501: The crown prince Mohammed bin Salman of fostering a faulty workplace culture since "Nadhmi takes his cue from his boss, and everyone else at Neom takes their cue from Nadhmi." At one company meeting, Nasr said on record, "I drive everybody like a slave, when they drop down dead, I celebrate. That’s how I do my projects." He also threatened to replace employees stuck in other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, which included

1550-689: The economic zone of Neom. Saudi Arabia originally aimed to complete major parts of the project by 2020, with an expansion completed in 2025, but fell behind schedule. By July 2022, only two buildings had been constructed, and most of the project area remained bare desert. In 2024, the project was reported to have been substantially scaled back from its original plan; however, this was denied by the Saudi Economic Minister, Faisal F. Alibrahim . Neom's construction has also been criticised for environmental and human rights violations, with expatriate employees describing abusive working conditions and members of

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1600-546: The economy, the environment, and society". Megaprojects refer not only to construction projects but also decommissioning projects, which are projects that can reach multi-billion budgets, and have a high level of innovation and complexity, and are affected by a number of techno-socio-economic and organizational challenges. The OFCCP Mega Construction Project (Megaproject) Program involves projects valued at over $ 35 million. Megaprojects are often affected by corruption, leading to higher cost and lower benefit. According to

1650-560: The environment, and attempting to solve a wicked problem . Neom Bay Airport Neom Bay Airport ( IATA : NUM , ICAO : OENN ) is a commercial airport located in Neom , Saudi Arabia . It is 48 km (30 mi) east from the nearest airport, Sharm El Sheikh International Airport across the Red Sea in Egypt . It is one of the four-airport network that is projected in the city, one of which

1700-481: The first phase of the airport was completed with a runway length of 3,757 m (12,326 ft). The first commercial flight was by Saudia from Riyadh. The planned airport has been registered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the code NUM. Oxagon (originally named Neom Industrial City) was announced as a floating industrial complex in the shape of an octagon. Per

1750-478: The former director of branding and marketing. In late 2018, Neom's progress suffered after the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi . Advisers to Neom, including Daniel L. Doctoroff and architect Norman Foster , were reported to have distanced themselves from the project and the "toxic" Saudi crown prince. Designers of The Line announced plans to use data as a currency to manage and provide facilities such as power, waste, water, healthcare, transport and security. It

1800-516: The general economy has been a popular policy measure since the economic crisis of the 1930s. Recent examples are the 2008–2009 Chinese economic stimulus program , the 2008 European Union stimulus plan , and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . Megaprojects often raise capital based on expected returns—though projects often go overbudget and over time, and market conditions like commodity prices can change. Concern at cost overruns

1850-436: The largest hydroelectric project in the world, required the displacement of 1.2 million farmers. In the 1970s, the highway revolts in some Western nations saw urban activists opposing government plans to demolish buildings for freeway route construction, on the basis that such demolitions would unfairly disadvantage the urban working class and benefit commuters. Anti-nuclear protests against proposed nuclear power plants in

1900-407: The local Howeitat tribe protesting against their forced expulsion. Around 20,000 people are expected to be forcibly relocated. Members of the Howeitat tribe have been killed resisting evictions, including Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti who was killed by Saudi security forces under disputed circumstances. Three other members of the tribe were also sentenced to death for resisting evictions. The name "Neom"

1950-428: The most common megaprojects are in the categories of hydroelectric facilities, nuclear power plants, and large public transportation projects. Megaprojects can also include large-scale high-cost initiatives in scientific research and infrastructure, such as the sequencing of the human genome , a significant global advance in genetics and biotechnology . The logic on which many of the typical megaprojects are built

2000-594: The new ones also foreclose "upon a wide variety of social practices, reproducing rather than resolving urban inequality and disenfranchisement". Because of their plethora of land uses "these mega-projects inhibit the growth of oppositional and contestational practices". The collective benefits that are often the underlying logic of a mega-project, are here reduced to an individualized form of public benefit. Proponents of infrastructure-based development advocate for funding large-scale projects to create long-term economic benefits. Investing in megaprojects in order to stimulate

2050-418: The planned city. The Howeitat tribe, who are native to the area, have said that they do not oppose the city but would rather not face forced expulsion and violence. On 13 April 2020, activist Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti posted videos online announcing that Saudi security forces were trying to evict him and other members of the Howeitat tribe from their historical homeland to make way for the development of Neom. In

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2100-523: The responsibility to lead NEOM, was accused in his tenure of berating and scaring his employees, as confirmed by present and former staff members. Two gigaprojects under the Saudi Vision 2030 were merged in 2022, while the remaining three projects lost their expatriate chief executives and turned over the senior management. The Saudi government refused to comment, while Neom declined to make Nasr available for answers or interview requests. However, Neom issued

2150-426: The sea was constructed in 2023. In October 2024, Sindalah opened its doors to visitors. In January 2024, Neom announced Aquellum, a "subterranean digitalized community of the future" that will "invert architectural principles to integrate with nature". Described as an "upside-down skyscraper", it will be dug into a 450m-high mountain, with access from an underwater square. Leyja is a planned tourist destination which

2200-454: The skyscraper, which will be connected to the lakeside development by a cable car, showed a crystalline structure made of numerous columns that narrow towards the peak. In December 2022, Neom announced plans for Sindalah, an 1,100,000-cubic-yard luxury resort complex off the city coast. It is planned to have an 86-berth marina and three luxury hotels, and it could accommodate as many as 2,400 visitors daily. A nine-hole golf course overlooking

2250-529: The surrounding land to become agricultural fields and to rely heavily on genetically engineered crops . A subsidiary, ENOWA , has been founded to provide renewable energy, green hydrogen, and zero waste desalination. NEOM recently started a project to create biodiversity conservation zones. The goal is to protect endangered species in the area through rewilding programs that work with foreign conservation groups. NEOM's plan for education includes building "smart schools" with AI-driven lessons that give each student

2300-455: The videos, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti said that he would defy the eviction orders, although he expected that Saudi authorities would plant weapons in his house to incriminate him. He was later shot and killed by Saudi security forces, who claimed he had opened fire on them. London-based human rights activist and fellow Howeitat tribe member Alya Alhwaiti disputed this version of events, stating that al-Huwaiti did not own firearms. al-Huwaiti's funeral

2350-423: Was held near the village of al-Khoraibah and was well attended despite the presence of Saudi security forces. Eight cousins of al-Huwaiti have been arrested for protesting against the eviction order, but Alhwaiti has said that she and other human rights activists hoped to challenge the arrests. In June 2020, Salman signed a $ 1.7 million contract with American public-relations and lobbying firm Ruder Finn to counter

2400-424: Was ordered to shoot a villager for refusing to be evicted. In October 2022, Neom was announced as the host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games , a decision that received criticism concerning its adverse environmental impact. Amidst increasing global-warming concerns, the project raised multiple issues ranging from the expected high temperatures in the desert land, the energy impact and detour of local water resources to

2450-494: Was planned to start in the first quarter of 2019 with completion by 2020. The developments were to include constructing the airport at Sharma, which would operate regular commercial flights between Riyadh and Neom. The plan of Neom Bay's developments also involves building the first residential area in Neom as part of Phase 1. In June 2019, it was announced that the Neom Bay Airport would begin commercial flight traffic after

2500-513: Was said that data would also be collected from the smartphones of the residents, their homes, facial recognition cameras and multiple other sensors. According to Joseph Bradley, the chief executive of Neom Tech & Digital Co., the data sweep would help developers feed the collected information to the city for further predicting and customizing every user's needs. However, Saudi Arabia's poor human-rights record and use of espionage and surveillance technology for spying on its citizens emerged as

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