Neom is an ambitious, urbanistic megaproject that is under development in Saudi Arabia. Presented as the land of the future, Neom pursued an ambitious goal to change how people look at living. According to promo materials, Neom's mission is to create a new future based on five core principles: nature, technology, livability, sustainability, and community. In this article, we will not discuss well-known problems around Neom, give our critical assessment, or try to predict its future. Instead, we will briefly review what Neom is and why there are so many discussions around it.
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What is NEOM?
First, Neom is not the name of the exact city, hotel chain, or building. Neom is a place that will be made up of many unique, futuristic regions. These include:
Magna, “a luxury lifestyle coastal destination”
Magna is Neom's premier coastal region. Located in the Gulf Of Aqaba, with seamless connectivity and access to the Mediterranean, the region has ambitious plans to set a new global standard in elite sustainable tourism, by offering majestic landscapes, world-class architecture, and high-end amenities.
Sindalah, “the gateway to the Red Sea”
Sindalah is Neom’s island resort, a Red Sea escape set to become a new global yachting destination and offer world-class luxury to its guests. The resort has a golf course, beach club, and other features including an exclusive Yacht Club By Stefano Ricci.
Sindalah’s surrounding waters are home to 1,100 species of fish, 45 of which are unique to NEOM waters, in addition to more than 300 coral species. According to the project, natural marine habitat has been central to the island’s development.
The island concept is designed by LUCA DINI Design & Architecture, a world-famous Italian superyacht design and architectural studio.
Trojena, “the mountains of NEOM”
Believe it or not, it seems like you will be able to ski and snowboard in the mountains of Saudi Arabia, but only 3 months a year.
Trojena is Neom's special mountain destination, set in the picturesque highlands, and will offer outdoor adventure activities combined with modern luxury. Besides elegant hotels, the region will include a unique man-made freshwater lake, ski resort, advanced-tech observatory, wildlife park, and many more. Blending nature with futuristic architecture, Trojena aims to be a world-class destination for ecotourism, relaxing retreats, and adventure sports.
The region has already been selected to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games, bringing international attention to the Neom mountain environment.
The Line, “the future of urban living”
Probably the most breathtaking, controversial, and well-known of Neom projects.
The Line is Neom's flagship urban development: A 170-kilometer-long linear city designed to redefine urban living, challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities, and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human liveability.
With a narrow width of 200 meters and a height of 500 meters, The Line plans to house 9 million residents across a vertically stacked layer.
The city is planned to be entirely car-free and run on 100% renewable energy, while 95% of the land is going to be preserved for nature. According to the project, people's health and well-being will be prioritized over transportation and infrastructure, unlike traditional cities.
Oxagon, “center for advanced and clean industries”
Strategically located on the Red Sea coast near global shipping lanes, Oxagon is a Neom reimagined industrial city that aims to be powered by renewable energy and integrates cutting-edge technologies like AI, robotics, and the Internet of Things.
At what stage NEOM is?
Neom's first completed region, the island Sindalah, was opened in October 2024 to several invited guests. In the future, the resort aims to welcome 2,400 guests per day by 2028 and create about 3,500 jobs, supporting the diversification of the Saudi economy.
As of November 2024, all other Neom regions are under different phases of development.
Challenges to overcome
Like every ambitious, game-changing project, Neom is plagued with many challenges, and most of them are related to The Line. Possible to say that how Neom will overcome these challenges, will determine its future livability and success.
A leading architectural magazine “Dezeen” surveyed top architects and industry professionals about challenges that threaten the project and highlighted the key of them.
Biodiversity
Despite The Line's small physical footprint, its extended length and height could present significant biodiversity challenges. Large mirrored structures, such as those proposed for The Line, are very dangerous for migrating birds. Additionally, the continuous, linear design could disrupt the natural movement of animals across the environment, similar to how highways create barriers that impede wildlife crossings. The structure may interrupt natural ecosystems, making it difficult for various species to navigate and maintain their habitats.
Energy efficiency
Constructing a structure of such immense scale – 500 meters in height and stretching 170 kilometers – would necessitate enormous quantities of steel, glass, and concrete, leading to significant carbon emissions. This vast amount of embodied carbon could potentially overshadow any environmental advantages that might arise from the city's smaller physical footprint or its transportation efficiencies.
Quality of life
To put it bluntly, The Line is a huge, enclosed space, and most experts agree that how The Line manages and operates is much more important than how futuristic it looks. Experts note that while renderings are truly mind-blowing, with residents interacting with canyons, orchids, and waterfalls, there are doubts that such an experience will be achievable. Quality of life in The Line will depend heavily on how common spaces will be managed.
Conclusion
It can be said that NEOM is one of the most ambitious urban projects of our time, and one of the most controversial, due to the challenges and problems associated with it. We will follow the project and keep you up to date.
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