NEOM the Kingdom of Saudi Arabias $500 billion city of the future

NEOM will be a similar size to Belgium and have more robots than humans. The recently proposed $500 billion sustainable city in north-west Saudi Arabia was announced by the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The 26,500-square kilometre zone, known as NEOM (short for “new future”) will be fully powered by renewable energy, and become the country’s hub for industry, technology and entertainment.

NEOM is part of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision to diversify its economy and transform its energy generation. As part of its plans, the country aims to generate around 9,500 megawatts of electricity using solar and wind in the next decade.

The first phase of NEOM is due to be finished by 2025, with the city expected to use the latest technology (“passenger drones”, free online education and robots to do repetitive and arduous tasks) and have the highest possible environmental standards (carbon-free homes).

The project will have a significant impact – attracting private sector investment, supporting skills development and job creation, and providing a platform to develop partnerships with its neighbouring countries.

NEOM is an exciting project for Saudi Arabia and an important one for the region as it continues to cement itself as a global hub for sustainability.

At Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, we look forward to hosting a delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss renewable energy projects and strategies.