Saudi Arabia’s first-ever ski resort project is advancing in the desert mountains of NEOM, where developers have now completed excavation of a key tunnel linking future guests to the resort’s centerpiece lake. The milestone was announced this week as part of ongoing construction updates from TROJENA, a high-altitude region within the larger NEOM megaproject, a $500 billion-plus futuristic urban development backed by the Saudi government and the country’s sovereign wealth fund.

The newly completed 680-meter B3 Tunnel connects the Lake Access Road to “The Vault,” a vertical village structure built into the mountainside.

In addition to 18 miles (30 kilometers) of ski terrain, plans include a 2.8-kilometer man-made lake, a dozen hotels, a wellness village, restaurants, and a year-round event calendar. The lake will reportedly hold up to 15 billion gallons of desalinated water, sourced through an energy-intensive process powered in part by renewable energy.

Tomasso Ciancio, construction director at Webuild, the firm overseeing the tunnel and dam infrastructure, said in a statement, “Every stone moved and every meter advanced reflects months of planning and sacrifice.” He described the project as a test of leadership and resilience in one of the world’s most challenging construction environments.

Read the full story at Snow Brains