Neom (styled NEOM; Arabic: نيوم, romanized: Niyōm, Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [nɪˈjo̞ːm]) is an urban area being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk Province. Launched in 2017 by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, the site is at the northern tip of the Red Sea, due east of Egypt across the Gulf of Aqaba and south of Jordan. The total planned area of Neom is 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi). Multiple regions are planned, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources.[2][3] Saudi Arabia claimed that NEOM would create around 460,000 jobs and add an estimated $48 billion to the country's GDP. Thousands of people have been forcibly moved to make way for the project and villages have been razed.[4]
Neom
نيوم | |
---|---|
City | |
Coordinates: 28°07′52″N 34°55′15″E / 28.131088°N 34.920757°E | |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Province | Tabuk |
Announced | 24 October 2017 |
Founded by | Mohammed bin Salman |
Government | |
• Lord Mayor | Nadhmi Al-Nasr[1] |
Area | |
• Total | 26,500 km2 (10,200 sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+03 (Arabian Standard Time) |
Website | www |
Much of the city is hoped to be completed by 2039.[5] Some experts have expressed skepticism about the ambitions of the megaproject.[6] The project's estimated costs exceed $1.5 trillion.[7] On January 29, 2019, the Saudi government announced that it had established a closed joint-stock company named Neom.[8] The company is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund and is solely dedicated to developing the economic zone of Neom.[9] Saudi Arabia originally aimed to complete major parts of the project by 2020, with an expansion completed in 2025, but fell behind schedule.[10][11] By July 2022, only two buildings had been constructed, and most of the project area remained bare desert.[11] 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.[12]
Neom's construction has also been criticised for environmental and human rights violations, with expatriate employees describing abusive working conditions and members of the local Howeitat tribe protesting against their forced expulsion.[13][14] Around 20,000 people are expected to be forcibly relocated.[15] 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.[16] Three other members of the tribe were also sentenced to death for resisting evictions.[17]
Etymology
editThe name "Neom" 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,[18] as well as the first letter of the Arabic word for "future" (Arabic: مستقبل, romanized: Mustaqbal, Hejazi Arabic pronunciation: [mʊsˈtaɡbal]).[19][20]
History
editSalman announced plans for the planned city at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on October 24, 2017.[21] He said that it would operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with its own tax and labour laws and an "autonomous judicial system."[22] Egypt announced in 2018 that it would contribute some land to the Neom project.[23]
Klaus Kleinfeld was announced by Salman as the inaugural director for the Neom project upon its launch.[24] In 2018, Kleinfeld signed Gladstone Place Partners LLC to handle communications services for the Neom project for a fee of $199,500 plus expenses of $45,000.[25][26] Kleinfeld was then announced as an advisor to bin Salman and Nadhmi Al-Nasr as the director of Neom.[24]
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.[27] Plans call for robots to perform functions such as security, logistics, home delivery and caregiving[28] and for the city to be powered solely with wind and solar power.[22]
In October 2024, Sindalah became the first Neom region to be completed.[29]
Planned regions
editFull list
editThe Line
editThe 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.[47][48] The original plans called for the city to span 170 kilometres (110 mi) at a height of 500 m (1,600 ft)[49] 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).[50] The Line would have an entirely glass mirror exterior.[50] The plan calls for all basic services to be within a five-minute walking distance.[51][52]
The plan was announced in 2021. Saudi Arabia has stated that it aims to complete a 5 km (3.1 mi) central segment by 2030, while completion of the full 170 km (110 mi) project has been pushed to 2045.[53] However, in 2024, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both reported that the first phase will only be 1.5 miles.[54][55] Saudi officials denied these reports and stated that the project was continuing as planned.[56][57]Neom Bay
editThe development work of the project's first phase, Neom Bay, was planned to start in the first quarter of 2019 with completion by 2020.[58][needs update] The developments were to include constructing the airport at Sharma, which would operate regular commercial flights between Riyadh and Neom.[59] The plan of Neom Bay's developments also involves building the first residential area in Neom as part of Phase 1.[60]
Neom Bay Airport
editIn June 2019, it was announced that the Neom Bay Airport would begin commercial flight traffic after the first phase of the airport was completed with a runway length of 3,757 m (12,326 ft).[61][62][63] The first commercial flight was by Saudia from Riyadh.[64] The planned airport has been registered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the code NUM.[62]
Oxagon
editOxagon (originally named Neom Industrial City) was announced as a floating industrial complex in the shape of an octagon. Per 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.[65] Oxagon is designed to focus on manufacturing, industrial research and development, incorporating the former Duba port, which has been renamed the "port of Neom".[66][67] The plans for the complex include a desalination plant, a hydrogen plant and an oceanographic research center.[68][69] 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.[70]
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 a memorandum of understanding to facilitate collaboration and legislation in support of Neom's Future Factories Program.[71]
Trojena
editOn 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 is in the desert, the site's climate is considerably cooler than is the rest of Neom's territory.[72][73][74][75][76][77] Ennismore, a lifestyle and hospitality company, was announced as the inaugural partner with its brands 25hours Hotels and Morgans Originals.[78][79] 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 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.[80]
Sindalah
editIn December 2022, Neom announced plans for Sindalah, an 1,100,000-cubic-yard luxury resort complex off the city coast.[81] It is planned to have an 86-berth marina and three luxury hotels, and it could accommodate as many as 2,400 visitors daily.[82][81] A nine-hole golf course overlooking the sea was constructed in 2023.
Aquellum
editIn 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.[83]
Leyja
editLeyja is a planned tourist destination which 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.[84] 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.[85]
Agriculture
editNeom plans for 6,500 hectares (16,000 acres) of the surrounding land to become agricultural fields and to rely heavily on genetically engineered crops.[86][87]
Utilities
editA subsidiary, ENOWA, has been founded to provide renewable energy, green hydrogen, and zero waste desalination.[88][89]
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 a customized learning experience and training in advanced technology areas that prepare them for jobs in the digital economy in the future.[citation needed]
International relations
editIn March 2020, Neom signed a partnership deal as a principal partner with Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team.[90] 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.[91] At the 2023 London ePrix, the McLaren Formula E Team and Neom developed and raced the world's first motorsport livery designed using AI.[92][93]
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.[94]
In March 2021, Neom signed a four-year global sponsorship agreement with the Asian Football Confederation.[95]
In 2022, Neom hosted Extreme E's 2022 Desert X-Prix and held the naming rights to the series' Island X-Prix in Sardinia.[96][97] 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 a power transmission network of about 190 km.[98] In October 2022, Trojena was announced as the future host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.[99]
After opening its first international office in London in November 2023, Neom opened its second one in New York in February 2024.[100]
Suggestion of Israeli cooperation
editDespite 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 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 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.[101][102]
Controversies
editEvictions and executions
editIt is estimated that 20,000 people will be forced to relocate to accommodate the planned city.[15] 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.[16] 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.[20][16] In 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.[103] He was later shot and killed by Saudi security forces, who claimed he had opened fire on them.[103] 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.[16] al-Huwaiti's funeral was held near the village of al-Khoraibah and was well attended despite the presence of Saudi security forces.[16] 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.[16]
In June 2020, Salman signed a $1.7 million contract with American public-relations and lobbying firm Ruder Finn to counter the criticism and controversies involving the Neom city project.[104] 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.[105] In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia sentenced three members of the Howeitat tribe to death for resisting displacement.[17] 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.[106] 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 was ordered to shoot a villager for refusing to be evicted.[107]
2029 Asian Winter Games
editIn October 2022, Neom was announced as the host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games, a decision that received criticism concerning its adverse environmental impact.[99] 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 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."[99] 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 is awful for our sport."[99]
Abusive work culture
editIn 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."[20][108] 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."[108] Nasr, appointed by Prince Mohammed with the responsibility to lead NEOM, was accused in his tenure of berating and scaring his employees, as confirmed by present and former staff members.[109] 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.[108]
The Saudi government refused to comment, while Neom declined to make Nasr available for answers or interview requests. However, Neom issued 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."[110] Anthony Harris, a former director of innovation at Neom's education team, accused 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."[108] 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."[108] He also threatened to replace employees stuck in other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, which included the former director of branding and marketing.[108]
In late 2018, Neom's progress suffered after the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.[111] Advisers to Neom, including Daniel L. Doctoroff[112] and architect Norman Foster, were reported to have distanced themselves from the project and the "toxic" Saudi crown prince.[113]
Surveillance
editDesigners 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.[114][115] It 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.[114]
However, Saudi Arabia's poor human-rights record[116] and use of espionage[117] and surveillance technology for spying on its citizens[118] emerged as 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."[114] The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology did not respond to digital rights experts and researchers' requests for comments.[114]
Other criticisms
editSalman's vision for the city incorporates some technologies that do not currently exist, such as flying cars, robot maids, dinosaur robots, and a giant artificial moon.[119]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "PROFILE: Who is Nadhmi al-Nasr, the new CEO of Saudi Arabia's NEOM?". Al Arabiya English. 2018-07-03. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Avery, Dan (26 January 2021). "Saudi Arabia Building 100-Mile-Long "Linear" City". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ Yusuf, Nadia; Abdulmohsen, Dareen (2023). "Saudi Arabia's NEOM Project as a Testing Ground for Economically Feasible Planned Cities: Case Study". Sustainability. 15 (1): 608. doi:10.3390/su15010608.
- ^ "Neom: Forces 'told to kill' to clear land for eco-city". BBC News. 2024-05-09.
- ^ Bostock, Bill. "Everything we know about Neom, a 'mega-city' project in Saudi Arabia with plans for flying cars and robot dinosaurs". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ "Neom: What's the green truth behind a planned eco-city in the Saudi desert?". BBC News. 2022-02-22.
- ^ Turak, Natasha (2024-04-29). "Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
- ^ "UPDATE 1-Saudi NEOM set up as joint stock company run by state fund..." Reuters. 2019-01-29. Archived from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia announces creation of Neom Company". Arab News. 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2019-01-29.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to Begin Building Homes in $500 Billion Futuristic City Neom". Bloomberg News. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
- ^ a b Pelham, Nicolas (28 July 2022). "MBS: despot in the desert". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-07-28.
- ^ Turak, Natasha (2024-04-29). "Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ "En Arabie saoudite, la mégalopole du futur Neom engendre déjà ses condamnés à mort" (in French). France 24. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia: UN experts alarmed by imminent executions linked to NEOM project". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2023-05-03.
- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia Crown Prince's $500B city aims for futuristic 'Jetsons'-like amenities". FOXBusiness. July 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Gardner, Frank (23 April 2020). "Saudi tribe challenges crown prince's plans for tech city". BBC News. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Neom: Saudi Arabia sentences tribesmen to death for resisting displacement". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
- ^ "NEOM: Saudi megaproject name, logo explained". Arabian Business. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "What does Saudi Arabia's mega project 'NEOM' actually stand for?". Alarabiya. 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b c Nereim, Vivian (July 14, 2022). "MBS's $500 Billion Desert Dream Just Keeps Getting Weirder". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia Just Announced Plans to Build a Mega City That Will Cost $500 Billion". Bloomberg News. 24 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Saudis set $500 billion plan to develop zone linked with Jordan and Egypt". CNBC. 24 October 2017.
- ^ "NEOM: A new channel for Egyptian-Saudi cooperation". EgyptToday. 16 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Klaus Kleinfeld named adviser to Saudi crown prince, NEOM appoints new CEO". Arabnews. Retrieved 03 July 2018.
- ^ FARA registration, US Department of Justice
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's client roster". www.prweek.com.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia Reveals NEOM, its Planned Futuristic Megacity". Inverse. October 25, 2017.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's new city, Neom, a mecca for robots". The Washington Times. 24 October 2017.
- ^ Narayanan, Nirmal (2024-10-27). "Saudi Arabia opens Sindalah in NEOM as part of Vision 2030 tourism drive". Arab News. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
- ^ "HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE LINE AT NEOM". NEOM (Press release). 10 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OXAGON, THE LARGEST FLOATING INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IN THE WORLD". NEOM (Press release). 16 November 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TROJENA, THE GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR MOUNTAIN TOURISM IN NEOM". NEOM (Press release). 3 March 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES SINDALAH, NEOM'S FIRST ISLAND DEVELOPMENT". NEOM (Press release). 5 December 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM REVEALS MAGNA, ITS NEW COASTAL REGION". NEOM (Press release). 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES LEYJA, ITS LATEST SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DESTINATION". NEOM (Press release). 15 October 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES EPICON – ITS LUXURY COASTAL TOURISM DESTINATION ON THE GULF OF AQABA". NEOM (Press release). 15 November 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES SIRANNA, ITS EXCLUSIVE TOURISM ESCAPE". NEOM (Press release). 29 November 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES UTAMO, ITS IMMERSIVE DESTINATION FOR ART AND ENTERTAINMENT". NEOM (Press release). 13 December 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES NORLANA, ITS COASTAL WELLNESS-FOCUSED COMMUNITY". NEOM (Press release). 27 December 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES AQUELLUM, A FUTURISTIC LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY WITHIN A MOUNTAIN HAVEN". NEOM (Press release). 2024-01-10. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "LUXURY ECOTOURISM IN SAUDI ARABIA TAKES A MAJOR STEP FORWARD WITH ZARDUN". NEOM (Press release). 2024-01-24. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES XAYNOR, AN EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB". NEOM (Press release). 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES ELANAN, A UNIQUE WELLNESS RETREAT EMBEDDED IN NATURE". NEOM (Press release). 2024-02-21. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES GIDORI, ITS RESIDENTIAL GOLF COMMUNITY". NEOM (Press release). 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES TREYAM, ITS PREMIER LAGOON DESTINATION". NEOM (Press release). 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "NEOM ANNOUNCES JAUMUR, A COSMOPOLITAN MARINA COMMUNITY". NEOM (Press release). 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
- ^ Summers, Nick (11 January 2021). "Saudi Arabia is planning a 100-mile line of car-free smart communities". Engadget. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Top Global Oil Exporter Saudi Arabia Launches Car-free City". Barrons. 10 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Williams, Adam (2024-10-17). "Saudi Arabia's Line megacity is using 20% of the world's available steel". New Atlas. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia plans 100-mile-long mirrored skyscraper megacity". The Guardian. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ Avery, Dan (26 January 2021). "Saudi Arabia Building 100-Mile-Long "Linear" City". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- ^ "THE LINE: Work begins on Saudi Arabia's 170-km vehicle-free city". Daily Sabah. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Hammond, Andrew (15 October 2024). "Neom 'uses one fifth of world's steel'". Arabian Gulf Business Insight. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ Jones, Rory; Brown, Eliot (12 November 2024). "CEO of Saudi Arabia's Futuristic City Project Leaves Abruptly". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Fattah, Zainab; Martin, Matthew (5 April 2024). "Saudis Scale Back Ambition for $1.5 Trillion Desert Project Neom". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2024-11-12.
- ^ Turak, Natasha (2024-04-29). "Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
- ^ Mitchell, Bea (15 April 2024). "Plans for The Line at Saudi Arabia's Neom scaled back". Blooloop. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to start first phase of Neom project". Arab News. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia gives green light for development of NEOM Bay". english.alarabiya.net. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ Bloomberg. "Saudi Arabia to begin building homes in futuristic city Neom". ArabianBusiness.com. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
- ^ "Saudi civil aviation announces the opening of NEOM Bay airport". Arab News. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
- ^ a b "Neom airport wins IATA classification as commercial facility". Saudigazette. 2019-05-22. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's NEOM airport set to receive first commercial flight on June 30". english.alarabiya.net. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
- ^ "Neom Bay, Saudi Arabia opens to commercial traffic". Ch-Aviation.
- ^ "NEOM to see world's largest floating industrial complex OXAGON". ArabNews.
- ^ "Saudi's $1.9bn 'Port of NEOM' open for business at Oxagon". ConstructionWeek. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Parsons Corporation Awarded NEOM Contract". U.S Saudi Businesses Cooperation. 29 April 2021.
- ^ "Oxagon". www.neom.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ Boretti, Alberto (2022). "Hydrogen key technology to cover the energy storage needs of NEOM City". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 47 (31): 14371–14374. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.02.240.
- ^ "Saudi's NEOM rebrands tech company as 'Tonomus', invests $1bln in 2022". Saudi Gazette. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ^ Joseph, Shilpa Annie (17 December 2022). "OXAGON inks MoU with Saudi Ministry & MODON to support manufacturing sector - GCC Business News". www.gccbusinessnews.com. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "NEOM launches TROJENA, mountain tourism project, slated for 2026 completion". Construction Week. 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Crown prince announces". Alarabiya News.
- ^ "Trojena: How Saudi Arabia plans to redefine mountain tourism". Arabian Business.
- ^ "MBS announces TROJENA, new global destination for mountain tourism in NEOM". Saudi gazzet.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia unveils new mountain tourism destination Trojena in Neom". Gulf News.
- ^ "Trojena: The mountains of NEOM". www.neom.com. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ "NEOM names first partner hotel brands with Ennismore". www.neom.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "Welcome to Ennismore". Ennismore. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "Zaha Hadid Architects designs crystalline skyscraper above Neom ski resort". Dezeen. 2023-09-14. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ a b "Sindalah". Neom. 2022-10-13. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ Sindalah island. "Sindalah Island will start receiving Visitors from the Year 2024". Saudi Expatriates. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "Neom reveals "upside-down skyscraper" Aquellum inside Gulf of Aqaba mountain". 11 January 2024.
- ^ "Neom Announces Leyja, Its Latest Sustainable Tourism Destination". Saudi Press Agency. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ "NEOM unveils its latest sustainable tourism hub, LEYJA, in saudi arabia". DESIGNBOOM. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ Worth, Robert F. (2021-01-28). "The Dark Reality Behind Saudi Arabia's Utopian Dreams". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
- ^ "The future of food". Neom. 2021-09-06. Archived from the original on 2021-11-23. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
- ^ "NEOM launches ENOWA". www.neom.com (Press release). Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "ENOWA". enowa.neom.com. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "NEOM becomes Principal Partner of Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team". Mercedes-Benz Group Media.
- ^ "McLAREN RACING AND NEOM ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC TITLE PARTNERSHIP". McLaren Racing. 27 Jun 2022. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 29 Jul 2023.
- ^ "NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveil world first generative AI-designed livery in motorsport". SportBusiness. 2023-07-28. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ "NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveils world first AI-designed racing car". Al Arabiya English. 2023-07-28. Archived from the original on 2023-07-28. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ "Can Saudi's Neom be a blueprint of a hydrogen-run city?". H2 Bulletin. 12 January 2021.
- ^ "AFC and NEOM announce four-year global sponsorship rights deal". the-AFC. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
- ^ "NEOM to host opening race of Extreme E season 2". Arab News. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "Revamped Extreme E set for NEOM Island X Prix in Sardinia". Arab News. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ "India's L&T ahead for NEOM $6.4-bn hydrogen renewables facilities: MEED". Arab News. 29 May 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Choice Of Saudi For Winter Games Reflects Worsening Environment For Major Events". Barron’s. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "NEOM opens office in New York to facilitate investors". Arab News. 2024-02-06. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
- ^ Ali, Tajwar; Haseena, Sultan; Ali, Tahira (2023). "Transforming Dynamics: Exploring the Strategic Alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel as a Catalyst for Middle East Geopolitics". Pakistan Journal of Law, Analysis and Wisdom. 2 (2): 173–178. Retrieved 8 March 2024 – via HeinOnline.
- ^ Cohen, Erez; Bligh, Alexander (2023). "A Comparative Analysis of the Israeli and Saudi Economies and an Argument for Bilateral Cooperation". Asian Affairs. 54 (1). Taylor & Francis: 67–83. doi:10.1080/03068374.2022.2134657.
- ^ a b "Saudi Arabia: Groups call on project management consultancies to divest from NEOM giga construction project following land activist shooting by govt". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Saudi prince defends trophy projects amid crisis". Asia Times. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Rothwell, James (10 November 2020). "Dominic Raab urged to boycott G20 over Saudi Arabia's bid to evict Bedouin tribe from homeland". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Death sentences for men who refused to make way for Neom". www.alqst.org. 10 October 2022.
- ^ "Neom: Forces 'told to kill' to clear land for eco-city". 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-05-09.
- ^ a b c d e f "Expatriate Executives Flee Saudi Arabia's Bad Bosses". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's futuristic mega-city mired by employee doubts, resignations". New Arab. 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
{{cite web}}
:|first=
missing|last=
(help) - ^ "Saudi Arabia: Allegations of discrimination, "dismissive & demeaning" workplace culture, & high staff turnover at NEOM mega-project; incl. comments from Neom". Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Saudi prince's flagship plan beset by doubts after Khashoggi death | …". archive.ph. 2018-12-13. Archived from the original on 2018-12-13. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ Zahraa Alkhalisi (10 October 2018). "Top tech execs will help Saudi Arabia build its mega city of the future". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ "Khashoggi killing derails Bin Salman's flagship project". Middle East Monitor. 2018-12-12. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
- ^ a b c d "FEATURE-Saudi 'surveillance city': Would you sell your data to The Line?". Reuters. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Madakam, Somayya; Bhawsar, Pragya (2020). "NEOM Smart City: The City of Future (The Urban Oasis in Saudi Desert)". Handbook of Smart Cities. Springer International Publishing. pp. 1–23. ISBN 978-3-030-15145-4.
- ^ "Ten ways that Saudi Arabia violates human rights". Amnesty International. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Saudis behind NSO spyware attack on Jamal Khashoggi's family, leak suggests". The Guardian. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Ex-Twitter employee found guilty of spying on Saudi dissidents". The Guardian. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
- ^ "A Prince's $500 Billion Desert Dream: Flying Cars, Robot Dinosaurs, and a Giant Artificial Moon". The Wall Street Journal. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.