NEOM: City of the Future

NEOM, the City of the Future, is rising in the northwestern province of Tabuk. Nine million people are to live and work in a linear city 170 kilometers long, 200 meters wide and 500 meters high in a few years. NEOM has been labeled the most ambitious, innovative and sustainable construction project in the world.

In the northwestern province of Tabuk, now one big sandbox, the City of the Future is to rise within the space of a few years: NEOM. A city where innovation and technology should be the cornerstone of development, completely CO2 neutral and an integral part of Vision 2030. This plan aims to reduce Saudi dependence on oil, diversify the economy and develop the service sector.

NEOM, an amalgamation of the Greek word neo (new) and the abbreviation of the Arabic word mustaqbal (future), is to cover a total area of 34km² which is unheard of when compared to cities of the same size. For now, five hundred billion dollars has been budgeted for NEOM, the first part of which should be ready as early as 2025.

The exterior of the City of the Future will consist of 2 500-meter-high facades made of mirrors which gives the structure its unique character and makes it - like the Maraya Concert Hall - seem to blend into its surroundings. Between the facades you will find homes, stores, schools and parks connected by bridges, all accessible on foot within 5 minutes.

To visit the City of the Future, fly into Neom Bay Airport (NUM). The first commercial flights to and from London Heathrow will operate later this year.

The diversity of NEOM's nature

Located in northwestern Saudi Arabia, NEOM offers a diverse climate with both sun-drenched beaches and snow-capped mountains. NEOM's unique location will offer residents a unique living environment while protecting 95% of the natural landscape.

Green hydrogen

Saudi Arabia is not known worldwide as a green boy, but NEOM should change this. The City of the Future is supposed to become completely energy-neutral thanks to solar power, wind power and green hydrogen. The odd duck in this list is green hydrogen. This is hydrogen derived from a solar energy and produced with renewable energy. Saudi Arabia hopes that NEOM will become one of the leading producers and exporters worldwide, as green hydrogen can be produced and stored here in large quantities.

To produce this green hydrogen, Saudi Arabia has enlisted the expertise of German industrial group Thyssenkrupp who are in the process of producing an electrolyser of more than 2 gigawatts. The electrolyser will be commissioned in 2026.

Limiting human movement is also going to save energy. In addition to NEOM Oxagon, work is underway on The Line, a 170-kilometer linear city in the NEOM area where nine million people will live and work. Without cars, without streets. The surface layer will be the largest pedestrian zone in the world. Anyone who will live in the City of the Future should be able to get almost anywhere in just five minutes.

Passenger transportation will take place underground, in the form of high-speed trains that should reach speeds averaging 510 km per hour. A ride from the Red Sea to the eastern end of The Line will thus take no more than twenty minutes making it the fastest train in the world. Not only passengers will be at their destination within minutes, but also goods. In fact, a separate underground layer is being built for that purpose that will take care of waste disposal, energy and delivery logistics.

The feasibility of NEOM

It all sounds like future music - especially since the first phase of the City of the Future must be completed by 2030. Then the question irrevocably arises as to how feasible the entire NEOM project is. Because even though the flying cabs were dropped from the original plan, much of the proposed technology does not currently exist, from robots that help in the household to a giant artificial moon.

There are also ethical issues of concern with one example being the Howeitat Bedouin tribe (20,000 people) who have had to leave their territory due to the construction of NEOM. The Howeitat are not against the development of NEOM, but obviously do not want to be driven out of their traditional homeland either.

NEOM in miniature

Should you, during your journey through Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, it is worth visiting Al Turaif or also called Diriyah. At 7,000 square meters, the perfectly reconstructed Al Turaif is among the largest mud brick structures in the world. Not only is it very impressive and thus worth a visit, it also hosts an exhibition on The Line which is part of the large and innovative construction project NEOM. Entrance is free and you will get a special insight into this futuristic linear city.

Can you visit NEOM already?

NEOM currently consists of 5 different projects: The LINE, Sindalah, Trojena, Oxagon and Magna (Gulf of Aqaba). Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to identify these projects (except for Sindalah) as they are projects under construction and thus they are not accessible to the public. The projects are surrounded by nature reserves and desert landscapes which of course can be visited. Ask us for the possibilities.