NEOM could be the next Dubai, but with far more advanced technologies and an urban ecosystem built from scratch that would rival every major metropolis in the world
...... NEOM might not be fully realized due to the reported corruption that exists within the Saudi government. Right now, many countries are hesitant to do business there because of it. Even architects and major leaders in the field who previously committed to and served on NEOM’s advisory board are flat-out refusing to work with the country anymore.......... Located on the very edge of Saudi Arabia where the Red Sea meets Egypt, Israel, and Jordan, NEOM features a masterplan that’s rather inconceivable and extremely expensive, but construction is already underway and an airport has already been built. Here are some of the consultants’ big ideas: flying taxis to take residents to work, robot maids to clean peoples’ homes, beaches with glow-in-the-dark sand, cloud seeding to bring rain to the hot desert, a hologram faculty teaching at leading local schools, a robot dinosaur island that serves as a tourist attraction, and state-of-the-art medical facilities where scientists will work to “modify the human genome to make people stronger.” Last but not least, MBS wants to build an artificial moon that would light up the city at night. While that could be accomplished with drones, one of the more nefarious ideas proposed by MBS himself is the constant surveillance of NEOM’s citizens through facial recognition technology and a legal system operating outside the bounds of Saudi Arabia’s courts............ the proposal for NEOM was dreamt up by a team of U.S.-based consulting and management firms.......... Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, as well as Oliver Wyman, were working on the project....... recommendations go beyond urban planning and include a slew of economic incentives and legal systems that NEOM could utilize to both lure residents and keep them there. ...... NEOM‘s first phase of development is expected to be completed by 2025
There are 16 economic sectors identified to be the key drivers for #NEOM’s future economy. As #NEOM reaches an advanced stage of development, these sectors are expected to generate an estimated annual income of $100 billion. pic.twitter.com/j2Jqj9eNys
— NEOM (@NEOM) October 25, 2018
Virgin Hyperloop One hits major bumps in the wake of Saudi controversy Last month, Saudi Arabia nixed a deal to construct a hyperloop in that country after former chairman Richard Branson criticized the kingdom’s alleged killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis announced a $1 billion investment in Virgin Galactic, another venture by Branson, after Branson stepped down as the chairman at Hyperloop. ...... With Branson and Lloyd gone, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stepped in as the new chairman. His company, DP World, a UAE-based shipping and logistics group, is now Virgin Hyperloop One’s largest investor.
Tomorrow, #NEOM will exhibit at @WTM_London, the world’s leading travel trade show! Come and visit our stand: ME870 to #DiscoverNEOM #WTM2019 pic.twitter.com/SyUnRfyP0n
— NEOM (@NEOM) November 3, 2019
Robot cage fights and flying taxis: leaked documents reveal Saudi Arabia’s plans for its next megacity Neom could be $500 billion city-state or another colossal waste of wealth .......... The riches of Silicon Valley have enabled some extravagant and quixotic projects, but they’ve got nothing on what oil money can do. ...... Saudi Arabia’s biggest megaproject yet: a city built in the desert named Neom, where robots will outnumber humans and hologram teachers will educate genetically-enhanced students............ The details are stunning. It’s a mixture of dystopian fiction (AI surveillance cameras everywhere!) and childish imaginings (let’s build a robot dinosaur park!). Taken together, the plans remind of you what a dedicated nine-year-old can achieve in Minecraft. Yes, the scale and ambition are impressive, but it’s not like you could do this in real life, right?............. proposals, of course, dreamt up by American consulting firms like McKinsey and Boston Consulting who have no incentive to bring Saudi leaders down to Earth. But all the same, they give you a flavor of what trillions of dollars of oil wealth will do to your sense of proportion .......... plans from Japanese tech giant Softbank to create “a new way of life from birth to death reaching genetic mutations to increase human strength and IQ.” ....... “I don’t want any roads or pavements. We are going to have flying cars in 2030!” said Prince Fahd bin Sultan, the region’s governor, in a planning meeting. Another planning document reportedly read: “Driving is just for fun, no longer for transportation.” ........ Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, saying he wants the city to attract the “world’s greatest minds and best talents.” ....... bin Salman “envisions Neom the largest city globally by GDP, and wanted to understand what he can get with up to 500 billion USD investment.” ........ The project is the flagpole of Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify the country’s economy away from oil. ....... The project is the flagpole of Saudi Arabia’s plans to diversify the country’s economy away from oil. ......... As currently planned, Neom will occupy a region the size of Massachusetts. This will include a huge coastal urban sprawl; outlying towns and villages; advance manufacturing hubs in industries like biotech and robotics; and links with international shipping routes. Early building work has already begun, with facilities including a new airport and palace. ............. A lot of factors have stopped Saudi Arabia attracting international business thus far ..... corruption, a difficult legal system, and social norms that range from unappealing to straightforwardly immoral for Western visitors. .......... a country in the desert desperately trying to turn oil riches into a technological haven before it’s too late.
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