Neom is arguably the world’s largest and most controversial architectural project. Here, we explain the key details of the development in Saudi Arabia, which includes The Line megacity.
What is Neom?
An initiative of crown prince Mohammed bin Salman – Saudi Arabia’s ruler –Neom is a large area of the country that has been earmarked for development.
Although often called a smart city, Neom is more accurately described as a region that will contain numerous cities, resorts and other developments.
It forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the country’s economy in order to reduce its dependence on oil.
Where is Neom?
Neom encompasses an area of around 10,200 square miles (26,500 square kilometres) in northwestern Saudi Arabia. This is around the size of Albania.
The area is bounded by the Red Sea to the south and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west.
What will be in Neom?
According to the developer, Neom will consist of 10 projects that they refer to as regions. So far, details of four of the regions have been announced. These are The Line, which is the most well-known, as well as Oxagon, Trojena and Sindalah.
The Line is planned to be a 170-kilometre linear city that will house nine million people. It will run from east to west across the Neom region. According to the developer, the city will consist of two parallel, 500-metre-high, linear skyscrapers standing 200 metres apart. The buildings will be clad with mirrored facades.
Oxagon is planned as an octagon-shaped port city that will be built on the Red Sea at the far south of the Neom region. According to Neom’s developer, the port and logistics hub will be the “world’s largest floating structure”.
Trojena is planned as a ski resort in the Sarwat Mountains near the north of the Neom region. The 60-square-kilometre skiing and outdoor-activity resort will offer year-round skiing and is set to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
Sindalah is planned as an island resort within the Red Sea. Aimed at the yachting community, the 840,000-square-metre island will have an 86-berth marina and numerous hotels.
When will Neom be built?
Neom is working to ambitious timelines, with much of the project set to be built by 2030.
Last year, drone footage was revealed showing site preparation for The Line taking place, while Neom recently released a video showing glimpses of progress on the site.
According to the developer, the largest element of Neom, The Line, will “be rolled out between now and 2045”. The aim is for one million people to be living in The Line by 2030. Some commentators have expressed scepticism about these timelines.
According to the developer, 2,400 staff already live and work at Neom.
Why is NEOM controversial?
The NEOM project has proved controversial due to three main concerns – sustainability, livability and human rights.
There are numerous concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record –Freedom House gave the country 7/100 in its global freedom scoring, while Amnesty International has published a list of 10 ways the country “violates human rights” on its website.
While there are broad concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia and for the people who will be building the gigantic project, the direct controversies connected to Neom are related to evictions taking place ahead of construction.
The area that is set to be developed is the historic homeland of the Huwaitat tribe and it is estimated that around 20,000 tribe members will be relocated to accommodate the planned development.
In 2020, Abdul Rahim al-Huwaiti from the tribe posted videos online aiming to draw attention to these evictions. The BBC later reported that Al-Huwaiti was killed by Saudi security services.
Last year, human rights organization ALQST reported that three people connected to Al-Huwaiti, who were forcibly evicted from the Neom site in 2020, had been sentenced to death.
Speaking to Dezeen, Amnesty International’s Peter Frankental said that companies working on Neom were facing a “moral dilemma” and should “think twice” about their continuing involvement in the project.
Additionally, the developer of Neom has made many sustainability claims, with the development aiming to be powered by 100 per cent renewable sources.
“We see The Line as a unique opportunity to set a new benchmark for combining prosperity, livability and environmental preservation,” Neom’s executive director Tarek Qaddumi told Dezeen.
However, Neom – and The Line in particular – have been criticized for the expected embodied carbon associated with building the project. Philip Oldfield, head of the built environment school at the University of New South Wales, has estimated that upwards of 1.8 billion tons of embodied carbon dioxide will be produced.
He told Dezeen that this huge embodied carbon cost of construction “will overwhelm any environmental benefits”.
Experts talking to Dezeen were also concerned over the mirrored facades’ impact on animal and birdlife.
On livability, Bin Salman stated that The Line “will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability”.
However, according to experts, the livability claims would rest on how the city is maintained.
About Author
Khalid Mukhtar is a Facilities Management Consulting Specialist. Having 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry, both in operation & staff training & development, including, five star hotels, educational institutions, corporate offices, worship places & shopping malls in Pakistan & abroad. A graduate in French language, from National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. Presently, working as a visiting faculty at COTHM, Garden Town Campus, for teaching “Managing Housekeeping Operations” to Associate Degree program students. He can be reached at khalidmukhtar@live.com.
Source: Dezeen
https://english.alarabiya.net/business/economy/2023/10/24/Saudi-mega-city-NEOM-sets-up-10-bln-JV-with-Denmark-s-DSV-for-logistics-services
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/10/05/neom-skyscraper-zaha-hadid-architects-trojena/
https://www.dezeen.com/2023/10/17/trio-boutique-hotels-neom-region-leyja/
