Saudi Arabia’s NEOM has released a new video, showing the progress so far at the kingdom’s upcoming $500 billion megaproject to boost tourism and encourage partnerships.
The project is part of the kingdom’s efforts to diversify its national economy away from oil.
The three-minute progress film shows footage of construction taking place across various regions as part of the project. This includes The Line, Trojena, Oxagon and Sindalah.
Sindalah to open in 2024
Sindalah will be the first of NEOM’s regions to open to visitors in 2024. The luxury island destination “will act as a main gateway to the Red Sea, offering visitors customised nautical experiences.”
The luxury island will also be home to a yacht club, three luxury resorts, a spa, over 50 luxury brands and 86 piers.
The Sindalah Island will continue to remain home to approximately 2,000 different marine species, of which many are unique to and can only be found in the Red Sea.
“The future of work, living and sustainability is coming to life,” the video says, adding that “the masterplan is being realised more every day.”
“A project unique in scale, already being built in a place with 95 percent of land protected for nature where rewilding is in motion, bringing animals back to their natural habitat.”
Trojena: The first outdoor skiing destination in GCC
Aside from Sindalah, the video also shows the progress on the NEOM mountain destination Trojena, which is set to be the first outdoor skiing destination in the GCC.
Trojena will play host to the 2029 Asian Winter Games, with over 32 countries due to participate in the event.
The Line is built by AI
The video, which also shows the progress made on NEOM’s The Line, showed the 500 metre high and 170 kilometre long city run by AI (artificial intelligence) and designed to house nine million people.
Saudi Arabia, which will not directly build the futuristic city The Line at NEOM, will use “a lot of artificial intelligence to design through a digital twin backbone,” NEOM’s executive director Giles Pendleton earlier said in an internal interview.
“We’ve got to build quite a lot of real estate in a short space of time. Well, we’re not actually building THE LINE. We’re assembling it from a series of modular pieces that are pre-engineered and predetermined as to what they do,” Pendleton said when asked about building a new city of nine million inhabitants in a short period of time.
Oxagon: The largest floating industrial complex
The video also revealed the progress made with Oxagon, which is aimed at being the largest floating industrial complex in the world.
Oxagon targets to house around 90,000 residents by 2030, with the first one expected as early as next year.
“Oxagon will be one of the world’s most technologically advanced logistics hubs with state-of-the-art integrated port and airport connectivity,” a statement in November 2021 read.
The city claims to build the world’s first fully integrated port and supply chain ecosystem – all planned around the kingdom’s net zero goals.
It will focus on seven sectors – sustainable energy; autonomous mobility; water innovation; sustainable food production; health and well-being; technology and digital manufacturing; and modern methods of construction.
Oxagon already has some confirmed tenants that demonstrate these statements – including the hydrogen project between Air Products, ACWA Power, and Neom. Gulf Modular International will also set up shop in the city, as well as Hyzon Motors and Desert Technologies.
What has NEOM achieved so far?
In addition to the latest developments, the video also revealed the developer’s achievements, which included the launch of Tonomus, a subsidiary of NEOM focused on AI-led technology for building the megaproject.
ENOWA, which is responsible for NEOM’s sustainable energy and water systems were also featured alongside the kingdom’s $175 million investment in Volocopter to accelerate urban air mobility.
“NEOM is open for business”
“If we are to solve the challenges of tomorrow, we must face up to them today, no matter how difficult they may seem. At NEOM, we are addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity by bringing together a community of the brightest minds committed to reimagining what a sustainable future will look like in 20 to 30 years, and building it today,” NEOM chief executive officer Nadhmi Al-Nasr said.
Al Nasr added: “We are redefining the future now. NEOM is open for business.”
The latest footage is the first film in what will be an ongoing series showing progress at NEOM, the developer said in a statement.
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