The mega project being built on the Red Sea coast, which was unveiled by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, comprises a 26,500 sq km area in the far north-west of Saudi Arabia.

The project aims to create a global model in various spheres by focusing on advanced industries and technology, with robots being used for many services and power being generated solely from wind and solar energy.

The sprawling city is planned to operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with its own tax and labour laws and an “autonomous judicial system”.

According to Al-Nasr: “NEOM is the future look of the whole world, the wise people of the world see this as a opportunity for the whole world to turn its vision into reality… it is one of the richest historical regions in the Kingdom and in the whole region. It is the meeting point of thousands of years of history of this region.”