What is the NEOM project?

Why is it being called the most technological city of the future?

By: Maha Altamimi

The NEOM project is one of the most ambitious engineering builds taking place in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within decades. That says a lot, considering the world-class projects are built in the Kingdom annually.

NEOM name is a derivative from the Latin term “Neo” which means “new” and the M stands for the Arabic word “Mostaqbal” which means “future” representing what the city aspires to be.

NEOM is located in the northwest region of Saudi Arabia, in the Tabuk area, spanning 460 square kilometers along the Red Sea coast.  It flows across three national borders, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. NEON will be an independent city from the administrative body of the Kingdom with its own set of principles, duties, and laws.

The NEOM project and its future goals will inspire Vision 2030, taking a qualitative leap in Saudi society. It will reduce the Kingdom’s reliance on oil while diversifying its economic sources of revenue. 

The city is an essential component of the Kingdom’s strategy developed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The project is not just a future metropolis, it is the Kingdom’s strategy to promote both external and interior harmony for the residents of NEOM. 

NEOM will be the blueprint of what a future city should encompass. “NEOM will focus on 9 specialized investment sectors targeting the future of human civilization, which are the future of energy and water, mobility, biotechnologies, food, technical and digital sciences, advanced manufacturing, media and media production, entertainment, and the future of living, which is the mainstay for the rest of the sectors,” said Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi Crown Prince.

NEOM hopes to increase living standards by combining technology and cultural experiences to aline with modern urban planning. 

Strong efforts are being made to embrace a futuristic workforce within the city of NEOM. This will require attracting highly qualified and skilled human resources to devote themselves to innovation, decision-making and enterprise leadership. 

Smart tech solutions such as; autonomous aircraft, modern agricultural to food production, and a new approach to healthcare focus on people and their surroundings.  A free high-speed connection to the internet will also be a standard amenity offered in the city of NEOM.

Housing and commercial properties will meet new building code standards to be certified as carbon-neutral buildings. The vision of NEOM will emphasize creative and innovative designs that encourage walking and cycling by using renewable energy sources. 

The NEOM project has an ambitious goal of making the region one of the safest in the world by applying cutting-edge global security throughout the city. This approach will improve the standards of living by protecting residents, visitors, investors and the general public.

In this context, a new way of life will be created that takes into consideration human hopes and aspirations by using cutting-edge global technology.