NEOM News

The latest news and information about NEOM, The Line and related projects

If all goes according to plan, within a few years, one million people will live in Saudi Arabia’s ‘city of the future’ – and every one of them will depend on a fleet of self-driving cars. 

Saudi Arabia has set aside $500bn to invest in the economic zone of Neom, a smart city that will be built from scratch and where inhabitants will get around by using fully autonomous vehicles (AVs). While it is certainly a significant project, the systems being developed for the Neom megacity are still in the design phase, with many details either not yet decided or not communicated to the public.

The partners have executed a six-week expedition aboard the OceanXplorer, the most advanced exploration, research and media vessel ever built.

NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic $500bn city has announced extensive findings from a joint mission with OceanX, a non-profit ocean exploration organisation. The expedition is the most adventurous assessment of the northern Red Sea to date.

The chief executive of French owned power giant ENGIE in Saudi Arabia, Turki Al-Shehri, finds it hard to hide his excitement about green hydrogen. However, he couldn’t hide his worries on the difficulties that conventional energy projects are currently facing.  

On the other hand, Al-Shehri firmly believes the future is hydrogen. He said: "I think it’s a global energy changer. Green hydrogen is coming. Even before it was even a buzzword, we’ve been spending roughly €60 million a year on green hydrogen research around the world."

UNWTO and Saudi Arabia's Neom have partnered for a new initiative focused on the future of tourism in Saudi Arabia.  The ‘Tourism Experiences of the Future’ challenge will source innovative ideas and disruptive business models related to the tourism needs of the future, in line with growing demand for new experiences. 
 
All proposals must be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and should include the introduction or adaptation of digital and technological elements, as well as being focused at least one of the following areas:
 
* Optimising and maximising the potential of experiential tourism;
* Harnessing the positive impact of new technology;
* Alternative business models;
* Innovative experiences
 

Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, received here on Sunday French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.  During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them, as well as regional and international developments and the efforts exerted towards them.

The meeting was attended by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Adviser Dr. Musaed bin Mohammad Al-Aiban.

The General Authority of Competition in Saudi Arabia has given the green light for Neom and Fas Energy to develop and operate data centers in the Saudi city of Neom.

The Authority tweeted this week that had no objection to proposed joint venture between Neom Co. and FAS Energy Co. to develop, own and operate the next generation of sustainable ultra-large-scale data centers in the new city of Neom.  A fact sheet on the project states: “[Neom] Includes artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, data centers, the Internet of Things and e-commerce.”

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had high-level discussions on Iran and Yemen in the city of Neom with Saudi officials.  According to the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Sullivan, the highest-ranking US official to visit Saudi Arabia since Joe Biden took office last January, will discuss “the Iranian nuclear file” and efforts to force peace initiatives to end the war in Yemen.

Thrillophilia, India's largest platform to book travel experiences, has partnered with the Saudi Arabia Tourism Board to publicise and promote Saudi Arabia as an exciting holiday destination for the Indian market.  This partnership aims to position Saudi Arabia on the same stage. With experiences such as desert dune bashing and hiking to the edge of the world, scuba diving in the red sea, and exploring UNESCO world heritage sites, Saudi Arabia is sure to wow tourists with a unique holiday experience full of exotic adventures, unique cultural activities, and the most scenic cities and nature destinations.

Saudi Aramco and three other partners have concluded an agreement for a $12bn project that will produce hydrogen and power in the kingdom’s southern city of Jazan as the world’s biggest oil exporter forges ahead with clean energy.  Aramco has a 20% stake in the joint venture through its unit Saudi Aramco Power Co., it said. Air Products owns 46%, ACWA Power 25% and Air Products Qudra 9%. The joint venture was first announced in 2018.

Saudi Arabia’s planned zero-carbon city Neom in July 2020 formed a joint venture with Air Products and ACWA Power to create a $5 billion green hydrogen project, which is expected to produce about 1.2 million mt/year of ammonia by 2025.

As one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, India faces a massive challenge every day to deliver safe drinking water to a population of close to 1.8 billion people. And when one considers that it is home to 18% of the world’s population but has access to only 4% of global freshwater resources, a radical rethink of how it manages its water resources is urgently needed.

Recognizing that a new approach to water processing and sustainability is required, NEOM plans to adopt a regenerative approach to water processing that will focus on preserving natural reserves and rejuvenating natural groundwater sources.

Construction on NEOM's largest development ‘The Line’ is expected to start by the end of this year, the governor of the Saudi wealth fund said.

Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a virtual event hosted by the Future Investment Initiative Institute (FII) on Tuesday.  NEOM's officials announced earlier that there are many areas under development in addition to The Line, such as an industrial city and many resort areas. 

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