Neom
is taking shape. This isn't just me saying it.
The footage
speaks for itself. In the footage, we can see that it is
progressing faster than expected. In the latest interview
with
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, the
CEO of Neom, he stated that 20 percent of the work has
been completed. Let's find out how much truth is there in
this statement.
Let's start with the Line Project.
As we all already
know, the Line is a futuristic city that spans 170
kilometers from Neom Mountains to the Red Sea.
It's just 200
meters wide and 500 meters tall.
The Line completely
changes how we think about city development and offers a
glimpse into what cities in the future might look like.
So let's move on with its construction updates.
When they first
announced plans for the line, it seemed like achieving their
big goals was a long shot. But here's some good news for you
all. They've already started working on it.
So it's not just
a dream anymore, it's becoming a reality. As for the current
status of the line project, things have certainly
progressed.
On October 19th, 2022, Saudi Arabia released official drone
footage of the ongoing construction at the line. With
construction almost reaching distant mountains. And let's
take a look at the latest footage.
We can observe
various developments taking shape, including offices and
camps near the mountains.
There is even a vibrant community area complete with a
football field and a Neum Experience Center.
When you're
working on a massive project in the desert, you need a huge
workforce, right?
But the question
is,
where do all
these workers stay?
Well, that's
where NEOM's plan comes in.
They've already
constructed three NEOM communities, which are
NEOM Community 1, 2, 3 respectively.
These communities are fully equipped with everything you can
imagine.
Roads,
schools, hospitals, shopping centers, and they've even
built an airport on June 6, 2023.
MIUM also
finalized contracts for the first phase of expanding
residential communities, adding space for an additional 95,
000 residents.
Additionally, these communities will offer various lifestyle
facilities, such as sports fields, swimming pools, and
entertainment venues. On the opposite side of the line,
there is a hidden marina where impressive progress is
underway.
The line
comprises 135 modules.
Modules 45, 46,
and 47 are situated at the marina, which is anticipated to
be twice the size of any other marina globally and capable
of accommodating the largest cruise ships.
When the digging and water removal for the marina are ready,
they'll begin with the piling work. Up to now, the piling
work for the line has mainly focused on Module 43, with over
4, 500 piles already in place.
At its peak, the
project has seen more than 60 piles being installed every
day, making it the largest piling project globally.
As they move on to do piling work in Modules 46 and 47, we
can anticipate an even higher level of activity. Here's
something worth noting.
According to the
NEOM CEO, 20 percent of the line's important infrastructure
is already built.
But there are
reports suggesting that the 20 percent completion claim
could be misleading, with satellite images indicating that
the actual progress may be less than stated.
If we look at the drone and satellite footage, the claim of
20 percent construction seems accurate.
But what's your
opinion on this matter?
As the line is a
really long and narrow city, it's so stretched out, if you
randomly pick two people in the line, they'd be, on average,
about 57 kilometers apart.
That's quite a distance.
And here's a
question that might pop into many minds.
With no roads
and no cars, how on earth will people get around the
line city?
And here comes
the underground rail system called the spine.
Construction work
for this railway network at NEOM has already begun. They're
planning to tunnel a total of 26.
5 kilometers, splitting it into two parts, one for the north
and one for the south. They'll do this in five sections,
each about five kilometers long, digging through tough rock
using special techniques.
The exciting part
is that this high speed train will be able to travel from
one end of the line to the 20 minutes.
So, even though the line is long and narrow This rail system
will make it much easier for people to get around and meet
up quickly.
There are a lot
of queries about clean water.
Like in a desert,
where water is scarce, how can NEUM ensure that people have
access to clean and safe drinking water?
NEUM shared some
news.
They announced that they're using solar domes to make clean
and affordable water. They've already set up a giant
facility that can turn salty seawater into fresh water
through desalination.
By this, they can
supply water for the whole Neum region and save more than 60
percent of the water in the process.
In about 10 years, this place will be making a whopping 1
million cubic meters fresh water every single day.
What's your
opinion on this matter...?
The line is not
just one of the largest projects globally, it's also one of
the most talked about and debated ones.
Progress is
happening in the line, but it's also facing criticism from
many people.
As Peter Cook, who is involved in this controversial
project, has raised doubts about its feasibility and
construction challenges. Speaking at an event in Venice, he
described the line as an amazing absurdity and criticized
its proposed 500 meter height.
Cook suggested
that aiming for a 200 meter height might be more reasonable,
and he questioned whether the project would ever reach its
intended scale.
And despite the line's claims of being eco friendly and
having no carbon emissions, some experts doubt its actual
impact on the environment.
Professor
Philip Oldfield argues that constructing a 500 meter
tall building with low carbon materials is practically
impossible. He estimates that the line's construction could
generate over 1.
8 billion tons of embodied carbon dioxide, which is
equivalent to more than four years of the entire UK's
emissions. This strong criticism questions the project's
environmental reputation.
Also, the line
has received criticism regarding human rights issues,
specifically forced displacement, thousands of people,
including the Hawaitat tribe, who have peacefully
inhabited the area for generations, face the risk of being
forcibly displaced.
This issue became even more alarming when a Saudi court
sentenced three members of the Hawaitat tribe to death
for their opposition to the eviction.
In response to
these troubling developments, the Hawaita tribe has urgently
requested a United Nations investigation to probe
allegations of forced displacement and abuse by Saudi
authorities.
Furthermore, the design of the lion also raises concerns
about its impact on biodiversity, particularly for migrating
birds. The large mirrored structures could pose significant
dangers to these birds and disrupt their natural crossings.
And next is
another major project.
Trojina,
known as the Mountains of Neom, is home to some of
the highest peaks in Saudi Arabia, reaching altitudes of up
to 2, 600 meters.
Trojina's main attraction is its ski slopes.
It will also
include a man made freshwater lake, chalets, villas, and
luxury hotels with exceptional amenities such as spa and
bathhouse, a ski slope roof, and microclimates.
Trojina is set to
be completed by 2026, but why is Trojina set to be completed
so fast?
And the reason is that Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the
10th edition of 2029 Asian Winter Games.
To meet the
deadline, substantial progress is being made in advancing
the development of Trojina, according to Philip Gullet,
Executive Director of Trojina.
Since 2022, a
significant amount of material, equivalent to 1.6 million
cubic meters, has been excavated from the Trojina Lakesite.
The Ski Village,
part of the Fun Cluster and Slope Residences in the Relax
Cluster are making great progress, with ongoing basement
work and detailed design work. Work on snow production and
ski testing is ongoing at the site.
The vault,
Trojina's distinctive verbical village, has already seen
nearly 1 million cubic tons of rock excavated, contributing
to the creation of the new lakebed.
Teams of workers are diligently transforming the rocky
mountainous terrain into the extensive year round mountain
destination envisioned for Trojina.
The decision to
award the Winter Games to Saudi Arabia has faced criticism.
One is about the artificial snowfall, as Greenpeace
criticizes the new Trojena.
They are concerned about the resort's impact on the
environment, stating that altering natural ecosystems can
have far reaching and unpredictable consequences on
neighboring ecosystems, making it a risky idea.
And now, the next
major project is Sindala.
A futuristic
Megacity is set to open its first destination in 2024...
This destination
will feature a world class yachting area designed by an
Italian designer, three mega luxury hotels, a golf course,
numerous restaurants, and an upscale retail area called the
Village Housing 51 Luxury Retail Outlets.
When observing
its development status, one can observe that certain
structures are approaching the final stages of construction,
and the foundational layout for most buildings has already
been determined.
Furthermore, in the area designated for the golf club, it
becomes apparent that the grass has already been laid out.
Even for the
workforce of Sindala, a dedicated community has already been
established, equipped with amenities such as offices,
logistics hubs, and housing units.
The success of
Sindala is crucial not only for the island itself, but for
the entire NEOM project.
Because it will serve as the first public opportunity to
experience NEOM, functioning as a gateway to the Red Sea and
a world class super yachting destination.
After Sindala,
let's discuss about the industrial city of the Neom,
Oxygen, a futuristic industrial city, world's
biggest and fully automated port with an integrated
logistics hub.
Oxygen will partially float on the Red Sea, which boasts an
average depth of 500 meters.
Oxygen's main
goal is to be an industrial and logistics hub in Neom. This
supports Saudi Arabia's economic growth and maritime trade.
Oxygen will be powered by renewable energy and will boost
job opportunities in the NEOM region.
NEOM plans to have its first container terminal up and
running with integrated logistics solutions by early 2025.
When finished,
the port will operate entirely on renewable energy,
achieving net zero carbon emissions and becoming the world's
most eco friendly port.
Neom also has
granted a 2 billion contract to build a railway called
Connector South.
It will connect the industrial city, Oxygen, to the line
development. This railway will run from the line to Neom
City Station, passing through Neom Bay Mansions
and Neom Bay Airport on its way to Oxygen.
The Red Sea will
also feature the largest cruise terminal. With strategic
access to 40 percent of the world's population within 6
hours, it aims to become a global trade hub.
Apart from its industrial hub, Oxagon will also have
its own residential area, entertainment, leisure, and
tourist districts that are supposed to be open between 2025
to 2026.
Work has already
started on the eight sided industrial city that is centered
around the Duba Seaport, but this is the only NEOM project
where construction has progressed the least, and its
completion date is still unknown.
So is Neom's dream really gonna stay a dream, or will it
come to life?
Only time will
tell...
Who knows, it
might turn out fantastic or face some challenges.
And speaking of
challenges,
was hosting
the 2029 Winter Games all about the money, or was there
more to it?
Also, when it
comes to Neom's development, is investment the top
priority?
Or do human rights play a role too?
Only time will
reveal the answers to these questions.
