Saudi Arabia reviewed its plans for building the NEOM city

A few weeks before, Saudi Arabian officials postponed a NEOM project – a new city around the desert. Initially, they planned that 1,5 million new citizens would get new homes by 2030, but the latest checks show that it is impossible. What is the reason for this, and what is expected of this project?

The primary source: Saudi Arabia to scale back plans for Neom city

Why does this situation happen with the city?

Spoiler – the main reason for this is money, but not only it. Due to economic problems and cutting of budget, the Saudi government decreases financing for the NEOM city program. Engineering difficulties are the following reason for delaying. Such ambitious projects require new approaches, using advanced technologies and quality workers. The last one, surprisingly, became the biggest problem.

What is the NEOM city project?

It is an ambitious project supported by the Saudi Arabian government, the main idea of which is to create a city around the desert. It must be built using advanced technology, eco-friendly materials, and the integration of AI instruments. The forecast is that by 2030, the first urban area – “Line” will be settled by 1,5 million citizens, but due to some problems, this amount will significantly decrease.

How do Saudi officials try to solve this?

There are a few ideas on how to solve all problems. First of all, Saudi Arabia tried to attract foreign investment. Forecasted that PIR, the foundation that operates the “NEOM” city project, will invest 1 trillion dollars by 2025. The size of these investigations is according to the planned budget, but it is not enough. The next problem is finding quality technology and personnel. To solve this, Saudi Arabia even opened a new university in Pakistan to study required employment. Nevertheless, only 300,000 people can get houses by 2030.

Conclusion

Despite all the problems, “NEOM” city remains a revolutionized project. Fully new concepts using AI technology and eco-friendly materials discover new opportunities for people. Not surprisingly, that ambitious project met with difficulties. But Saudi officials did not cancel the project, just delayed it.

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