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.”

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.

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. 

Saudi Arabia has set itself a host of lofty targets to reach by 2030, including for the oil producing giant to see tourism contribute 10% to the country's GDP.  The kingdom’s strategy, which will forge a key part in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030, aims for tourism to be the second largest contributor to GDP after oil and gas by 2030 – increasing to 10 percent from 3.6 percent today.

Mahmoud Abdulhadi, deputy minister, Investment Attraction, Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia referred to the $500 billion-plus, which is being spent on massive projects such as the Red Sea Development, Qiddiya, Diriyah, AlUla and NEOM, which are set to revolutionise the kingdom’s tourism offering to the national and international audience.

Marin County, California could face critically low water supplies next summer, with its reservoirs depleted, if the state sees another dry winter amid already dire drought conditions.   To prepare for the worst, Marin Municipal Water District is exploring leasing or purchasing desalination plants, said Emma Detwiler, a spokesperson for the agency.

In its search for equipment, the district is reportedly competing with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The prince is also on the hunt for a desalination plant for his $500 billion mega-city NEOM, which is currently under construction, the Marin Independent Journal first reported.