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Neom: 7 points on Mohammed bin Salman's futuristic Saudi megacity
Neom will encompass an area of 26,500 square km. Saudi Arabi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman envisioned the megacity and started the project in 2017.
Saudi Arabia authorities have approved the use of deadly force to clear land for a futuristic desert city, Neom, being developed by dozens of Western corporations. According to Col. Rabih Alenezi, he was given the order to drive out residents of a tribe in the Gulf state so that The Line, a component of the Neom eco-project, could be built. After that, one of them was shot and killed for demonstrating against the eviction, reported the BBC.
Col. Alenezi, who left for exile in the UK last year, claims that al-Khuraybah, which is located 4.5 km south of The Line, was the subject of the clearance order request. The Huwaitat tribe, who have long lived in the northwest of the country in the Tabuk region, made up the majority of the village inhabitants. (Also Read: Saudi Arabia Moves Closer to $1 Billion Barrick Pakistan Deal)
Here is all you need to know about Neom:
1. Developed in the northwest Saudi Arabian province of Tabuk, the Neom project is a planned megacity and special economic zone.
2. The crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), envisioned this place and started the project in 2017. Neom will encompass an area of 26,500 km² and house more than 9 million people.
3. The city will be powered by renewable energy sources and feature advanced technology and infrastructure.
4. As per Neom's website, their vision is that they are "the land of the future, where the greatest minds and best talents are empowered to embody pioneering ideas and exceed boundaries in a world inspired by imagination".
5. The project is expected to cost $500 billion, to which investors from both domestic and foreign markets will contribute.
6. The first phase is said to be finished in 2025 and will include a linear metropolis 100 miles long, the Oxagon- a floating industrial complex, and Neom Bay International Airport.
7. Plans were outlined to turn 6,500 hectares of the surrounding land into agricultural fields, with a primary concentration on genetically modified crops, in order to attain food sustainability in Neom.
