Neom Explained

Neom
Native Name:نيوم
Native Name Lang:ar
Settlement Type:City
Pushpin Map:Saudi Arabia
Pushpin Map Caption:Neom in Saudi Arabia
Coordinates:28.1311°N 34.9208°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Saudi Arabia
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Tabuk
Established Title:Announced
Founder:Mohammed bin Salman
Leader Title1:Lord Mayor
Leader Name1:Nadhmi Al-Nasr[1]
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:26500
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:Arabian Standard Time
Utc Offset1:+03

Neom (styled NEOM;, pronounced as /acw/) is an urban area being built by Saudi Arabia in Tabuk. 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 26500km2. Multiple regions are planned, including a floating industrial complex, global trade hub, tourist resorts and a linear city powered by renewable energy sources.

Much of the city is hoped to be completed by 2039.[2] Some experts have expressed skepticism about the ambitions of the megaproject.[3] The project's estimated costs exceed $1.5 trillion.[4] On January 29, 2019, the Saudi government announced that it had established a closed joint-stock company named Neom.[5] The company is wholly owned by the Public Investment Fund and is solely dedicated to developing the economic zone of Neom.[6] Saudi Arabia originally aimed to complete major parts of the project by 2020, with an expansion completed in 2025, but fell behind schedule.[7] [8] By July 2022, only two buildings had been constructed, and most of the project area remained bare desert. 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.[9]

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.[10] [11] Around 20,000 people are expected to be forcibly relocated. 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. Three other members of the tribe were also sentenced to death for resisting evictions.

Etymology

The 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,[12] as well as the first letter of the Arabic word for "future" (Arabic: مستقبل|translit=Mustaqbal, pronounced as /acw/).[13]

History

Planned cities have existed in many epochs of human history; they can be found in ancient Greece, in ancient China, in the Spanish colonial cities of the 16th century as well as in the centres of many large cities in the USA today.

Salman announced plans for the city at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on October 24, 2017.[14] He said that it would operate independently from the “existing governmental framework” with its own tax and labour laws and an "autonomous judicial system."[15] Egypt announced in 2018 that it would contribute some land to the Neom project.[16]

Klaus Kleinfeld was announced by Salman as the inaugural director for the Neom project upon its launch. 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.[17] [18] Kleinfeld was then announced as an advisor to bin Salman and Nadhmi Al-Nasr as the director of Neom.[19]

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.[20] Plans call for robots to perform functions such as security, logistics, home delivery and caregiving[21] and for the city to be powered solely with wind and solar power.[15]

Planned regions

Full list

Website
The Line10 January 2021[22]
Oxagon16 November 2021[23]
Trojena3 March 2022[24]
Sindalah5 December 2022[25]
Magna regions[26]
Leyja15 October 2023[27]
Epicon15 November 2023[28]
Siranna29 November 2023[29]
Utamo13 December 2023[30]
Norlana27 December 2023[31]
Aquellum10 January 2024[32]
Zardun24 January 2024[33]
Xaynor7 February 2024[34]
Elanan21 February 2024[35]
Gidori6 March 2024[36]
Treyam20 March 2024[37]
Jaumur8 May 2024[38]

The Line

See main article: The Line, Saudi Arabia. In January 2021, the project unveiled plans for The Line, a linear city 170km (110miles) long and 200m (700feet) wide within the Neom area. The design for The Line was further modified in July 2022, scrapping the original idea for multiple buildings on a linear plan, instead combining the buildings into one continuous structure with an entirely glass mirror exterior.[39] The car-free city is planned to be large enough to house nine million residents within walkable communities, with all basic services within a five-minute walking distance.[40] [41] In April 2024, the project's goal was modified again to be 2.4km (01.5miles) long, representing a 98.6% reduction in its length. This scale back is likely due to the Saudi government's inability to attract foreign investments in the project and the nation's dependence on oil prices.[42]

Neom Bay

The development work of the project's first phase, Neom Bay, was planned to start in the first quarter of 2019 with completion by 2020.[43] The developments were to include constructing the airport at Sharma, which would operate regular commercial flights between Riyadh and Neom.[44] The plan of Neom Bay's developments also involves building the first residential area in Neom as part of Phase 1.[45]

Neom Bay Airport

See main article: Neom Airport. In 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 .[46] [47] [48] The planned airport has been registered by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) with the code NUM.

Oxagon

Oxagon (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 25km (16miles) north of the town of Duba, and cover roughly NaNkm2 of land, of which approximately 40km2 forms the city.[49] Oxagon is designed to focus on manufacturing, industrial research and development, incorporating the former Duba port, which has been renamed the "port of Neom".[50] [51] The plans for the complex include a desalination plant, a hydrogen plant and an oceanographic research center.[52] 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.[53]

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.[54] As of January 2023, Neom has not provided any information regarding how the complex will remain afloat.

Trojena

See main article: Trojena.

On 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 50km (30miles) from the Gulf of Aqaba coast in the Sarat Mountains, with elevations ranging from NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet). Although it is in the desert, the site's climate is considerably cooler than is the rest of Neom's territory.[55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] Ennismore, a lifestyle and hospitality company, was announced as the inaugural partner with its brands 25hours Hotels and Morgans Originals.[61] [62] In September 2023, Zaha Hadid Architects designed a 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.[63]

Sindalah

See main article: Sindalah. In December 2022, Neom announced plans for Sindalah, a 840000m2 luxury resort complex off the city coast. It is planned to have an 86-berth marina and three luxury hotels, and it could accommodate as many as 2,400 visitors daily.[64] [65] A nine-hole golf course overlooking the sea was constructed in 2023.

Aquellum

In 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.[66]

Leyja

Leyja 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.[67] 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.[68]

Agriculture

Neom plans for 6500ha of the surrounding land to become agricultural fields and to rely heavily on genetically engineered crops.[69] [70]

Utilities

A subsidiary, ENOWA, has been founded to provide renewable energy, green hydrogen, and zero waste desalination.[71] [72]

International relations

In March 2020, Neom signed a partnership deal as a principal partner with Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team.[73] 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.[74] At the 2023 London ePrix, the McLaren Formula E Team and Neom developed and raced the world's first motorsport livery designed using AI.[75] [76]

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.[77]

In March 2021, Neom signed a four-year global sponsorship agreement with the Asian Football Confederation.[78]

In 2022, Neom hosted Extreme E's 2022 Desert X-Prix and held the naming rights to the series' Island X-Prix in Sardinia.[79] [80] 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.[81] In October 2022, Trojena was announced as the future host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.[82]

After opening its first international office in London in November 2023, Neom opened its second one in New York in February 2024.[83]

Suggestion of Israeli Cooperation

See also: Arab–Israeli normalization. Despite 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.[84] [85]

Controversies

Evictions and executions

It is estimated that 20,000 people will be forced to relocate to accommodate the planned city.[86] 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. 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.[87] 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.[88] He was later shot and killed by Saudi security forces, who claimed he had opened fire on them. 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. al-Huwaiti's funeral was held near the village of al-Khoraibah and was well attended despite the presence of Saudi security forces. 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.

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.[89] 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.[90] In October 2022, the Specialized Criminal Court of Saudi Arabia sentenced three members of the Howeitat tribe to death for resisting displacement.[91] 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.[92] 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.[93]

2029 Asian Winter Games

In October 2022, Neom was announced as the host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games, a decision that received criticism concerning its adverse environmental impact. 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." 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."

Abusive work culture

In 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."[94] [95] 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." 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.[96] 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.

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."[97] 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." 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." 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.

In late 2018, Neom's progress suffered after the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.[98] Advisers to Neom, including Daniel L. Doctoroff[99] and architect Norman Foster, were reported to have distanced themselves from the project and the "toxic" Saudi crown prince.[100]

Surveillance

Designers 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. 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.[101]

However, Saudi Arabia's poor human-rights record[102] and use of espionage[103] and surveillance technology for spying on its citizens[104] 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." The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology did not respond to digital rights experts and researchers' requests for comments.

Other criticisms

Salman'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.[105]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2018-07-03. PROFILE: Who is Nadhmi al-Nasr, the new CEO of Saudi Arabia's NEOM?. 2022-07-16. Al Arabiya English. en.
  2. Web site: Everything we know about Neom, a 'mega-city' project in Saudi Arabia with plans for flying cars and robot dinosaurs. Bostock. Bill. Business Insider. 2020-03-10.
  3. News: 2022-02-22 . Neom: What's the green truth behind a planned eco-city in the Saudi desert? . en-GB . BBC News .
  4. Web site: Turak . Natasha . 2024-04-29 . Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back . 2024-05-06 . CNBC . en.
  5. News: 2019-01-29 . UPDATE 1-Saudi NEOM set up as joint stock company run by state fund... . 2019-01-29 . Reuters . en.
  6. Web site: 2019-01-29 . Saudi Arabia announces creation of Neom Company . 2019-01-29 . Arab News . en.
  7. News: 2019-01-16. Saudi Arabia to Begin Building Homes in $500 Billion Futuristic City Neom. 2020-03-10. Bloomberg News.
  8. News: Pelham . Nicolas . 28 July 2022 . MBS: despot in the desert . The Economist . 2022-07-28 . 0013-0613.
  9. Web site: Turak . Natasha . 2024-04-29 . Saudi Arabia says all NEOM megaprojects will go ahead as planned despite reports of scaling back . 2024-04-30 . CNBC . en.
  10. Web site: 2022-10-14 . En Arabie saoudite, la mégalopole du futur Neom engendre déjà ses condamnés à mort . 2024-05-09 . France 24 . fr.
  11. Web site: 2023-05-03 . Saudi Arabia: UN experts alarmed by imminent executions linked to NEOM project . Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
  12. News: Staff Writer . 11 May 2023 . NEOM: Saudi megaproject name, logo explained . Arabian Business . 20 July 2023.
  13. News: What does Saudi Arabia's mega project 'NEOM' actually stand for?. Alarabiya. 24 October 2017.
  14. News: Saudi Arabia Just Announced Plans to Build a Mega City That Will Cost $500 Billion. Bloomberg News. 24 October 2017.
  15. News: Saudis set $500 billion plan to develop zone linked with Jordan and Egypt. CNBC. 24 October 2017.
  16. News: NEOM: A new channel for Egyptian-Saudi cooperation . EgyptToday . 16 August 2018.
  17. https://efile.fara.gov/docs/6591-Exhibit-AB-20180912-3.pdf FARA registration
  18. Web site: Saudi Arabia's client roster. www.prweek.com.
  19. News: Klaus Kleinfeld named adviser to Saudi crown prince, NEOM appoints new CEO. Arabnews. Retrieved 03 July 2018..
  20. Web site: Saudi Arabia Reveals NEOM, its Planned Futuristic Megacity. October 25, 2017. Inverse.
  21. News: Saudi Arabia's new city, Neom, a mecca for robots. The Washington Times. 24 October 2017.
  22. Web site: HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE LINE AT NEOM . . 10 January 2021 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  23. Web site: HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OXAGON, THE LARGEST FLOATING INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX IN THE WORLD . . 16 November 2021 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  24. Web site: HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF TROJENA, THE GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR MOUNTAIN TOURISM IN NEOM . . 3 March 2022 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  25. Web site: HRH PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN ANNOUNCES SINDALAH, NEOM'S FIRST ISLAND DEVELOPMENT . . 5 December 2022 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  26. Web site: NEOM REVEALS MAGNA, ITS NEW COASTAL REGION . . 5 June 2024 . neom.com. NEOM . 5 June 2024 .
  27. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES LEYJA, ITS LATEST SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DESTINATION . . 15 October 2023 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  28. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES EPICON – ITS LUXURY COASTAL TOURISM DESTINATION ON THE GULF OF AQABA . . 15 November 2023 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  29. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES SIRANNA, ITS EXCLUSIVE TOURISM ESCAPE . . 29 November 2023 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  30. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES UTAMO, ITS IMMERSIVE DESTINATION FOR ART AND ENTERTAINMENT . . 13 December 2023 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  31. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES NORLANA, ITS COASTAL WELLNESS-FOCUSED COMMUNITY . . 27 December 2023 . neom.com. NEOM . 2 January 2024 .
  32. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES AQUELLUM, A FUTURISTIC LIFESTYLE COMMUNITY WITHIN A MOUNTAIN HAVEN . . 2024-01-10 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-02-21 .
  33. Web site: LUXURY ECOTOURISM IN SAUDI ARABIA TAKES A MAJOR STEP FORWARD WITH ZARDUN . . 2024-01-24 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-01-24 .
  34. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES XAYNOR, AN EXCLUSIVE PRIVATE MEMBERS CLUB . . 2024-02-07 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-02-08 .
  35. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES ELANAN, A UNIQUE WELLNESS RETREAT EMBEDDED IN NATURE . . 2024-02-21 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-02-21 .
  36. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES GIDORI, ITS RESIDENTIAL GOLF COMMUNITY . . 2024-03-06 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-03-06 .
  37. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES TREYAM, ITS PREMIER LAGOON DESTINATION . . 2024-03-06 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-03-20 .
  38. Web site: NEOM ANNOUNCES JAUMUR, A COSMOPOLITAN MARINA COMMUNITY . . 2024-05-08 . neom.com. NEOM . 2024-05-08 .
  39. News: Saudi Arabia plans 100-mile-long mirrored skyscraper megacity . the Guardian . 27 July 2022 . en.
  40. Web site: Avery. Dan. Saudi Arabia Building 100-Mile-Long "Linear" City. 2021-01-29. Architectural Digest. 26 January 2021. en-us.
  41. Web site: 2021-11-03. THE LINE: Work begins on Saudi Arabia's 170-km vehicle-free city. 2022-07-16. Daily Sabah.
  42. News: Mitchell . Bea . Plans for The Line at Saudi Arabia’s Neom scaled back . 23 April 2024 . Blooloop . 15 April 2024.
  43. Web site: Saudi Arabia to start first phase of Neom project. 2019-01-16. Arab News. en. 2019-01-21.
  44. Web site: Saudi Arabia gives green light for development of NEOM Bay. english.alarabiya.net. 16 January 2019. en. 2019-01-21.
  45. News: Saudi Arabia to begin building homes in futuristic city Neom. Bloomberg . ArabianBusiness.com. en. 2019-01-21.
  46. Web site: Saudi civil aviation announces the opening of NEOM Bay airport. 2019-06-25. Arab News. en. 2019-06-29.
  47. Web site: Neom airport wins IATA classification as commercial facility. 2019-05-22. Saudigazette. en. 2019-06-29.
  48. Web site: Saudi Arabia's NEOM airport set to receive first commercial flight on June 30. english.alarabiya.net. 29 June 2019. en. 2019-06-29.
  49. News: NEOM to see world's largest floating industrial complex OXAGON . ArabNews .
  50. Web site: Saudi's $1.9bn 'Port of NEOM' open for business at Oxagon . ConstructionWeek . 15 January 2024 . 17 May 2023.
  51. Web site: U.S Saudi Businesses Cooperation. Parsons Corporation Awarded NEOM Contract. 29 April 2021.
  52. Web site: Oxagon . 2023-01-16 . www.neom.com . en.
  53. Web site: 28 September 2022 . Saudi's NEOM rebrands tech company as 'Tonomus', invests $1bln in 2022 . 20 November 2022 . Saudi Gazette.
  54. Web site: Joseph . Shilpa Annie . OXAGON inks MoU with Saudi Ministry & MODON to support manufacturing sector - GCC Business News . 2023-01-16 . www.gccbusinessnews.com . en-US.
  55. Web site: NEOM launches TROJENA, mountain tourism project, slated for 2026 completion . Construction Week .
  56. News: Saudi Crown prince announces . Alarabiya News .
  57. News: Trojena: How Saudi Arabia plans to redefine mountain tourism . Arabian Business .
  58. News: MBS announces TROJENA, new global destination for mountain tourism in NEOM . Saudi gazzet .
  59. News: Saudi Arabia unveils new mountain tourism destination Trojena in Neom . Gulf News .
  60. Web site: Trojena: The mountains of NEOM . 2023-02-08 . www.neom.com . en.
  61. Web site: NEOM names first partner hotel brands with Ennismore . 2023-03-14 . www.neom.com . en.
  62. Web site: Welcome to Ennismore . 2023-03-14 . Ennismore . en-US.
  63. Web site: Zaha Hadid Architects designs crystalline skyscraper above Neom ski resort . 2023-09-14 . 2023-09-15 . Dezeen.
  64. News: Sindalah island . Sindalah Island will start receiving Visitors from the Year 2024 . 23 January 2023 . Saudi Expatriates.
  65. Web site: Sindalah . Neom . 2022-10-13 . 2022-10-13 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221208132116/https://www.neom.com/en-us/regions/sindalah . 2022-12-08.
  66. https://www.dezeen.com/2024/01/11/neom-reveals-upside-down-skyscraper-inside-gulf-of-aqaba-mountain/
  67. News: . 15 October 2023. Neom Announces Leyja, Its Latest Sustainable Tourism Destination . Saudi Press Agency . 21 December 2023.
  68. News: . NEOM unveils its latest sustainable tourism hub, LEYJA, in saudi arabia. DESIGNBOOM . 21 December 2023.
  69. Web site: Worth . Robert F. . The Dark Reality Behind Saudi Arabia's Utopian Dreams . . 2021-01-28 . 2021-12-06.
  70. Web site: The future of food . Neom . 2021-09-06 . 2021-12-06 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211123015257/https://www.neom.com/en-us/sectors/food . 2021-11-23.
  71. Web site: NEOM launches ENOWA . 2023-03-14 . www.neom.com . en.
  72. Web site: ENOWA . 2023-03-14 . enowa.neom.com.
  73. Web site: NEOM becomes Principal Partner of Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team . Mercedes-Benz Group Media.
  74. Web site: 27 Jun 2022 . McLAREN RACING AND NEOM ANNOUNCE STRATEGIC TITLE PARTNERSHIP . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728164430/https://www.mclaren.com/racing/partners/neom/mclaren-racing-and-neom-announce-strategic-title-partnership/ . 28 July 2023 . 29 Jul 2023 . McLaren Racing.
  75. Web site: 2023-07-28 . NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveil world first generative AI-designed livery in motorsport . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728163521/https://www.sportbusiness.com/2023/07/neom-mclaren-formula-e-team-unveil-world-first-generative-ai-designed-livery-in-motorsport/ . 2023-07-28 . 2023-07-29 . SportBusiness . en-US.
  76. Web site: 2023-07-28 . NEOM McLaren Formula E Team unveils world first AI-designed racing car . https://web.archive.org/web/20230728163626/https://english.alarabiya.net/News/saudi-arabia/2023/07/28/NEOM-McLaren-Formula-E-Team-unveils-world-first-AI-designed-racing-car . 2023-07-28 . 2023-07-29 . Al Arabiya English . en.
  77. News: 12 January 2021 . Can Saudi's Neom be a blueprint of a hydrogen-run city? . H2 Bulletin .
  78. Web site: AFC and NEOM announce four-year global sponsorship rights deal . 28 January 2022 . the-AFC . en.
  79. News: 22 December 2021 . NEOM to host opening race of Extreme E season 2 . . 8 July 2022.
  80. News: 1 July 2022 . Revamped Extreme E set for NEOM Island X Prix in Sardinia . . 8 July 2022.
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