Saudi Arabia is building a flagship business and tourism development named Neom, on the coast of the Red Sea. It’s all part of the country’s Vision 2030 tourism targets, one of which is attracting 100 million domestic and international visitors annually at tourism sites around the country by 2030.
Neom is larger than tourism. It has been designed to address some of the most pressing global challenges faced by urban living, and to inspire an alternative way of living. It will preserve 95% of the natural environment around the site and will be 100% renewable, ensuring a zero-emission, carbon-positive ecosystem.
Spread across 26 500sqkm, and comprising several zones, the US$500 billion (R9,3 trillion) development will include smart towns and cities, ports and enterprise areas, research centres, tourist centres and sports and entertainment venues.
The development will also include a network of airports, including one international airport. The first airport, Neom Bay in the northern region of Sharma, opened last year and operates regular flights for investors and employees.
The international airport, due to be one of the biggest in the world, should be completed by 2030, according to Chief Urban Development Officer at Neom, Antoni Vives.
Neom will feature several hotels, of which up to 15 will begin operating between 2023 and 2025. After 2025, it plans to open 20 hotels each year.
While the development project’s target is to host around one million travellers by 2025, it also intends to increase this to five million by 2030.
Zones in Neom will include:
- Sindalah, a luxury island due to open in 2024.
- Trojena, the first outdoor skiing destination in the Gulf Cooperation Council, set to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
- The Line, a 200m-wide and 170km-long city, housed in connected structures, all climate-controlled.
- The Oxagon, a floating industrial complex expected to house 90 000 residents by 2030.
The Line
The Line will eventually accommodate nine million people and will be built on a footprint of just 34sqkm. The idea is to create a reduced infrastructure footprint, ideal temperatures and efficiencies in city functions. Residents will have access to all facilities within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail..
The Line’s many offerings include a new cruise hub.
Executive Director of The Line, Giles Pendleton, says the hub will be similar to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, or Montenegro in the Mediterranean. He says the Red Sea is a great boating area due to the absence of tornadoes and hurricanes, and has stable weather conditions and clear waters.
Other features of The Line include an ideal climate throughout the year, a high-speed train offering end-to-end travel in 20 minutes, and a mirrored façade that allows the city to blend seamlessly into the natural environment around it.
To watch a video on Neom’s progress, click here.
