Saudi Arabia’s NEOM ‘giga project’ is reported to be ready to welcome tourists and investors by 2024, according to Project Chief Executive Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
Speaking about the development of the US$500 billion ‘city of the future’ with Asharq (via Arab News), Al-Nasr advised “we spent two years transforming the vision into a strategy, as this strategy concerns all sectors of NEOM.
“We finished last year with strategies, then moved on to planning and implementation and now we have entered the implementation phase.”
One of several giga projects being developed as part of Saudi Arabia’s attempts to diversify its economy away from oil, NEOM, located in the Tabuk Province of north western Saudi Arabia is planned to incorporate smart city technologies and also function as a tourist destination
The project’s developers recently hosted nearly 150 design and construction companies in its search for contractors and investors.
Set to be powered by renewable energy sources, the development of new technologies for the city has seen NEOM join with the nation’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to create the world’s largest coral garden at Shushah Island in the Red Sea area of NEOM.
Al-Nasr noted “one of our missions at NEOM is to reinvent conservation for the good of the natural world and for future generations to enjoy.
“Our coral reef collaboration with KAUST is a vivid example of how we are doing that.”
NEOM previously revealed plans to open its first hotel by the end of 2022, with up to 15 hotels launching between 2023 and 2025.
Images: NEOM and KAUST recently announced a joint project to establish the world's largest coral garden at Shushah Island in the Red Sea area of NEOM (top) and the area covered by the NEOM project (below). courtesy of NEOM.
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Nigel Benton
Co-founder/Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management
Nigel Benton is the co-founder and Publisher of Australasian Leisure Management, Australia and New Zealand’s only magazine for professionals in all areas of the leisure industry. Having established the magazine in 1997, shortly after his relocation to Australia, he has managed its readership rising to over 11,500 and its acceptance as the industry journal for professionals in aquatics, attractions, entertainment, events, fitness, parks, recreation, sport, tourism and venues.
In 2020, he launched the new Asian Leisure Business website.
Among a range of published works and features, his comments on a Blog (blogspot) from 2007 to 2011, when this website went live in its current form, may be interesting to reflect back on.
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