In a bold attempt to reshape Saudi Arabia’s economic landscape, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman unveiled his ambitious Neom project nearly a decade ago, touting it as a transformative urban utopia along the Red Sea. However, recent reports indicate that the dream of a $500 billion megacity may be crumbling as officials now plan to drastically scale back the project, acknowledging the impracticality of the original vision.
The Initial Vision of Neom
When the Crown Prince introduced Neom in 2017, he painted a picture of a city that would revolutionise human living and working habits. “There won’t be a single supermarket,” bin Salman claimed to Bloomberg. His vision included a sprawling 170-kilometre linear city called The Line, flanked by two towering skyscrapers reaching 500 metres into the sky, designed to accommodate up to 9 million residents without the need for cars or traditional roads. The project aimed to pivot Saudi Arabia away from its oil-dependent economy and position it as a global innovation hub.
The initial proposal also encompassed a variety of features, including a mountain ski resort and several coastal resorts, with a staggering £363 billion earmarked for construction. In the beginning, the project attracted significant attention and investment, promising a new era of prosperity and technological advancement for the Kingdom.
Dwindling Ambitions and Scaling Back
However, less than ten years after its announcement, Neom’s grand ambitions are being reassessed. The Financial Times recently reported that Saudi officials now envision a project that is “far smaller” than initially planned, with escalating costs and delays hampering progress. Architectural experts have been critical of the project from the outset, arguing that its design was fundamentally flawed. Professor James Campbell, an architectural historian at the University of Cambridge, remarked, “It’s an excellent example of a type of architecture where you propose something provocative to get a reaction. It’s always been an advertising gimmick for Saudi Arabia.”
The ambitious layout of The Line has faced scrutiny for lacking practicality in urban planning and financial viability. Experts assert that while the concept could theoretically be constructed, it does not make sense economically. Campbell noted that “as a building it makes no sense, and as a city it makes no sense,” highlighting the inherent challenges of creating a linear city in a desert environment.
A Shift in Perspective
Saudi officials have openly acknowledged the financial missteps surrounding Neom. “We spent too much,” one official admitted during a recent investment forum, stressing the need for a re-evaluation of priorities. The ambitious plan for a city run entirely on renewable energy is now marred by doubts and concerns surrounding budget constraints and potential human rights issues linked to its execution.
Originally, the design by Morphosis Architects included a 2-kilometre-wide urban strip, but as bin Salman’s ambitions grew, he altered the vision to a narrower city with towering structures, which critics argue only complicate the project’s feasibility. The departure of several architectural firms from the Neom initiative further underscores the growing doubts about its viability, leaving the future of the project uncertain.
The Realities of Ambition
Despite consistent optimism from bin Salman, who predicted that Neom would contribute $100 billion to the Saudi GDP by 2030, experts have questioned the feasibility of such lofty projections. Dr. Neil Quilliam from Chatham House remarked that officials were likely caught up in the excitement of rapid change in Saudi Arabia but may have privately harboured doubts about the project’s actualisation.
As the project faces significant downscaling, it will inevitably leave a mark of embarrassment for the Crown Prince, who has undergone a series of lessons in realism during his tenure. Future endeavours on a similar scale are now less likely, as the lessons learned from Neom could reshape the Kingdom’s approach to ambitious urban projects.
Why it Matters
The unfolding saga of Neom serves as a stark reminder of the challenges inherent in ambitious urban development and the complexities of balancing visionary dreams with practical realities. As Saudi Arabia grapples with the implications of scaling back such a high-profile project, it raises questions about the effectiveness of top-down planning and the need for sustainable, realistic approaches to urbanisation in the region. The outcome of Neom will not only impact the Kingdom’s economic future but also reflect on the broader regional aspirations for innovation and progress in the Asia-Pacific landscape.
