With the Qatar world cup heading towards semi-finals this week, I came across some aerial drone footage as well as new interesting articles and plans of the proposed city called NEOM created by their neighbours Saudi Arabia. This is a construction, which using in their own words will incorporate, “smart city technologies” and a tourist destination, in the Tabuk province of north-western Saudi Arabia. The drone recording shows excavators digging a wide trench disappearing into the distance, which will comprise the foundations for the 170km long city.

The name Neom has been created from two separate words “neo” which comes from the ancient Greek meaning of “new” and the “m” is an abbreviation of an Arabic word for “future

Covering a total area of 26,500 km2, NEOM will extend in excess of 450km along the coastline of the Red Sea, in an area known for its relatively mild climate. The initial section is scheduled for completion in 2025. With a focus on “urban sustainability,” including environmental protections and the use of technology, this is being presented as an international project, as the region is within a 4-hour flight of 40% of the world’s population. In addition to this, 14% of the world’s trade flows through the Red Sea, so the location is seen as perfect for this type of venture.

According to the press releases within NEOM is “The Line” which will be 170km long with a million residents; no cars; no streets and zero carbon emissions. The city will have a mirrored wall on either side which will completely reflect the desert and help with the internal climate.

As there will be no cars, walkability will be the objective to living in this environment. The claims are, that everything you will ever need, will never be more than a five-minute walk away, namely, shops; schools; leisure centres and green park spaces, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities. One of the obvious downsides seems to be that you will never be out in nature, never feeling the wind or the sun on our skin as you will always be in a controlled environment.

Three layers have been announced, with the top one being “Pedestrian,” where you live, work and create. The centre section is the service layer, which will be 100% powered with renewable energy and controlled by Artificial Intelligence. The bottom or “Spine” layer as it is known, is where the ultra-high speed transport system will be positioned and other modes of transport including “AI” enabled ones.

Creating an estimated 380,000 new jobs, and by 2030 contributing $48bn to the Saudi GDP, these are incredibly ambitious plans.

The press releases continue with

“Throughout history, cities were built to protect their citizens. After the Industrial Revolution, cities prioritized machines, cars and factories over people. In cities that are viewed as the world’s most advanced, people spend years of their lives commuting. By 2050, commute durations will double. By 2050, one billion people will have to relocate, due to rising CO2 emissions and sea levels; 90% of people breathe polluted air. Why should we sacrifice nature for the sake of development? Why should seven million people die every year because of pollution? Why should we lose one million people every year due to traffic accidents? And why should we accept wasting years of our lives commuting?” “Therefore, we need to transform the concept of a conventional city into that of a futuristic one,”

The plans state that the city will be powered by wind and solar energy, whilst robots will be created to perform things like deliveries and security. The Wall Street Journal reported on the original concept back in 2019, with a title of “Flying Cars, Robot Dinosaurs and a Giant Artificial Moon. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince turned to U.S. consultants, for help imagining a massive new city-state, in a barren section of his kingdom. What emerged was a Jetsons-style world of automation”.

More details, schematics and visual impressions can be found at https://www.neom.com