Neom: Futuristic Green Saudi City

Neom is perhaps the belle époque of an era destined to usher in the coming decades. It will be apt to decline such a vision of the future when the world dismantles its toxic paraphilia and adopts a sustainable and innovative alternative destination, a futuristic home for the people. Neom is the amalgamation of two words: the first three letters are from the ancient Greek prefix meaning 'new', whereas the fourth letter is the abbreviation of Mostaqbal, an Arabic word meaning 'future'.

C'est qua Neom! Prêt à tout savior? Mais 95% des terres serant préservés pour la nature. An obvious set of queries given the massive blueprint of the project. In 2017, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, launched Neom, a visionary project that will transform the Red Sea coast of northwest Saudi Arabia into a 'Giga-city.' The public fund leads the project, powering it with 100% renewable energy.

Neom Vision 2030 includes 'The Line', which contains numerous cities, resorts, and other developments. It’s the Saudi Vision 2030 to reduce its dependence on oil. Neom encompasses an area of around 10,200 sq. miles in north-western Saudi Arabia and consists of 10 projects. According to the details of the four projects, they are: The Line, Oxagon, Trojena, and Sindalah.

The Line is planned to be a liner city housing nine million people that will run from east to west across the Neom region. The city will also consist of two parallel, 500-metre-high linear skyscrapers standing 200 metres apart. And the buildings will be donning mirrored facades.

Oxagon is designed as an octagon-shaped port city to be built on the Red Sea in the far south of the Neo region. It is dubbed the 'world's largest floating structure'. While Trojena is designed as a ski resort in the Sarwat Mountains near the north of the Neom region, the 60-square-kilometre skiing and outdoor activity resort will offer year-round skiing and is also set to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

Sindalah, on the other hand, is designated as an island resort within the Rea Sea. Particularly aimed at the yachting community, the 840,000-square-metre island will have an 86-berth marina and numerous hotels. Sindalah Luxury Island is scheduled for completion, aiming to welcome its first guests in early 2024. The post-city 'Oxagon' is also set to have its first residents move in by 2024. While the shore part of the city is set to be completed by 2030. Whereas the ski resort Trojena is set to open in 2026.

Neom has set an ambitious deadline to house one million people in 'The Line' by 2030. And the population living in the Giga-City will be travelling within its parameters in a hyper-loop. Despite its futuristic and visionary nature, Neom faces controversy stemming from three major issues: sustainability, liveability, and human rights. Critics raise concerns about these aspects surrounding the project.

The area that is set to be developed is the historic homeland of the Huwaitat tribe, and it is estimated that around 20,000 tribe members will be relocated. Neom and 'The Line' have already been criticised for the expected embodied carbon associated with building the project. It is estimated that above 1.8 billion metric tonnes of embodied carbon dioxide will be produced, and there is also another concern over the 'Mirrored Facades' that will have a negative impact on animals and birdlife. It is rumoured that the inhabitants of the 'Tabouk' province who refused to leave their homes have been imprisoned.

Irrespective of the negative controversies, Neom is believed to diversify the Saudi economy, particularly in the tourism, property, and finance sectors. The Saudis have undoubtedly begun their preparation for the post-oil era as oil reserves are dubbed to remain redundant by the end of 2070.

(An author by profession, Chalise holds a PhD in travel and tourism.)