In 2017, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia unveiled the groundbreaking Neom City project during a future investment summit. This grand vision aims to build a vast, eco-friendly smart city in the desert area near the Red Sea in the northwestern part of Saudi Arabia. The city plans to spend about $1 trillion to build a new city 43 times the size of Seoul to break away from an economy that is overly dependent on oil. This colossal project is expected to demand significant time and money.
The Neom City project is divided mainly into three categories. First, ‘The Line’ is an innovative residential city. With a target completion date set for 2025, extensive infrastructure development is underway, including housing, ports, railways, and energy facilities. The characteristic of the project is that AI technology makes all facilities available within a five-minute walk with a mild climate in four seasons.
The second aspect is ‘Trojena,’ an expansive mountain tourism complex that boasts year-round offerings, from ski resorts to water sports. It is also a tourist destination that combines eco-friendly hotels and cutting-edge technology and aims to be completed in 2026. Moreover, the 2029 Neom Asian Winter Games will be held here.
Finally, ‘Oxagon’ is an octagonal high-tech industrial complex floating on the sea. The concept aims to build high-tech logistics bases using artificial intelligence, drones, and new digital technologies to attract research institutes and factories from various global companies.
The eco-friendly Neom City seems to give us great hope, but the response from the U.S. and Europe is cold. The reason experts are concerned about the feasibility of Neom City is first a matter of funds. Making Neom City a reality necessitates considerable infrastructure and development, requiring astronomical funding. Furthermore, the challenges posed by the harsh desert environment might lead to cost escalations beyond initial projections. Nonetheless, Neom City, an eco-friendly city in preparation for the end of oil, is drawing attention from many people as to whether the desert-born miracle city will succeed.
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