For those who thought Saudi Arabia’s mega project NEOM is far from fruition, one look at its worker community shows the reality of the place where thousands of workers have flocked to the Kingdom to be a piece of the puzzle in building the futuristic region – standing at the size of Belgium – ground up. A man-made community, designed for those shaping one of the world’s most ambitious plans, features thousands of mountain lodge-style cabins, penthouse flats, and residential lodgings. Interwoven with amenities – including schools, health centers, gyms, upscale restaurants, basketball courts, and swimming pools.

One of NEOM’s primary residential hubs, NC1 (NEOM Community 1), is home to some 107 different nationalities. It is one of three sprawling residential community hubs. In total, about 7,500 residents live in NC1 (a number expected to increase to 8,000 by year-end), in addition to the tens of thousands of construction workers who work across the 26,500 square kilometer site.

The communities are a hive of activity to develop the giga project, including healthcare, HR, finance, procurement, media, catering, transport, service workers, and more.

Beyond its residential comforts, NEOM is also pioneering advanced security measures.  The center uses AI and Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to predict and prevent potential security, safety and fire threats while respecting privacy, operating what NEOM Public Safety Executive Director Adel Alwuhaib describes as an “invisible but always-on” security presence across NEOM.

Read the full story at Al Arabiya