Saudi Arabia plans to build a bridge to Africa
Saudi Arabia plans to build a $500 billion megacity that links to Africa via a bridge over the Red Sea. The development is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 plan to diversify Saudi Arabia's oil-driven economy.
At 16,400 square kilometres, the megacity would be 33 times as large as New York City and one of the largest cities in the world to run on 100% renewable energy. Its name, Neom - from the Arabic terms for "new" and "future" - symbolises its utopian vision of robot workers and drone taxis, and it would connect to Africa via a bridge over the Red Sea.
The smart and tourist cross-border city planned for construction is located in the far north-west of Saudi Arabia and is planned to be be constructed in Tabuk. It includes marine land located within the Egyptian and Jordanian borders. It aims to embrace digital technologies and services to make the city a major commercial location in the Middle East.
The project is estimated to take between 30 to 50 years to complete, however, with the first phase due by 2025.
It will be an independent zone, with its own regulations and social norms, created specifically to be in service of economic progress and the well-being of its citizens, in the hopes of attracting the world’s top talent and making Neom a hub of trade, innovation and creativity.
