FROM flying cars to the world's tallest skyscrapers, Saudi Arabia is spending £1trillion as it seeks to ditch its reliance on oil.
Through massive investments as part of Saudi Arabia Vision 2030, the nation has been unveiling wildly ambitious projects funded by oil billions at an unprecedented rate.
In line with the megalomania vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi is desperate to be the centre of the world.
The price of each project is not known - but Saudi is set to spend more than $175billion every year on mega projects between 2025 and 2028 - with about $1.3trillion of major projects in the works.
But many mega projects have faced fierce criticism over human rights violations - including the $500billion Neom project where tribes were shoved out of their homeland, imprisoned or executed.
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Authorities in the port city of Jeddah also demolished many houses to implement Saudi's development plans - with thousands of locals evicted illegally.
One campaigner claimed "Neom is built on Saudi blood".
Jeed Basyouni, Middle East director of the human rights organisation Reprieve, told DW: "We have seen, time and again, that anyone who disagrees with the crown prince, or gets in his way, risks being sentenced to jail or to death."
Neom & The Line
Neom is set to be a Jetsons-style ultra-modern metropolis in contrast to the other very conservative parts of the desert kingdom.
Backed by Saudi's $500billion Private Investment Fund - the group which bought Newcastle United - the plans for Neom are so ambitious that some of the technology doesn't even exist yet.
The city will be located on the border with Jordan and Egypt and will start welcoming residents and businesses by 2025.
It is being "built from scratch", powered by solar and wind, will be 17 times the size of London and "a centre for the development of robotics".
Planning docs show the city will have flying taxis - a vehicle depicted in science fiction films such as Blade Runner and Back to the Future II.
The most striking thing about Neom is a mirrored megastructure called The Line - a 110-mile, 500m tall and 200m wide mirrored building that will connect Neom to the rest of the kingdom.
But Basyouni, from Reprieve, said "the glossy brochures don’t show that this is a city being built on forcible evictions, state violence and death sentence".
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Campaigners say two towns have been cleared and 20,000 members of the Huwaitat tribe forcibly removed, without compensation, in order to build the megacity.
In September last year, three tribe members were allegedly executed for opposing eviction from the construction site.
Basyouni said Neom represents the "gulf between Mohammed bin Salman’s professed ‘vision’ of Saudi Arabia and the repressive reality of his rule".
Red Sea Project
The Red Sea Project is a tourism development on an archipelago of Saudi Arabian islands with its dedicated airport.
It's set to be built on 90 undeveloped islands between Umluj and Al Wajh on Saudi Arabia’s west coast.
The Red Sea Development Company describes the development as “grounded in sustainability and sustainable tourism" with a range of ultra-lux hotels.
Nicola Maniero, chief project manager at Kengo Kuma and Associates, designed one of the many resorts at the Red Sea Project.
He told The Sun: "Our project is almost complete and we expect our first guests to arrive between December and the beginning of next year.
"The island that we built on is only 70 centimetres above sea level.
"So with the sanding work that we've done there we managed to raise the island level and preserve the island in the future not only for tourism but for its fauna and flora."
When the project is finished in 2030, 22 islands and six inland sites will have been developed.
Super cave hotel
Also part of Neom, Leyja will be a jaw-dropping hotel complex carved into the walls of a giant canyon.
Directors of the project claim it will open its doors to tourists in 2024 - despite not being built yet.
It will have three state of the art hotels, designed by world-leading architects to blend in with the natural surroundings that make up 95 per cent of the futuristic city.
The hotels will have 120 luxurious rooms and will operate completely sustainably to provide "distinct experiences".
The first hotel is tailored to suit thrill seekers and will be carved into a cliff top - lending itself to keen rock climbers or elevation enthusiasts.
The second property will be closer to the ground and will function as as an "enchanting gateway" to discovery and exploration of the valley that continues beyond.
It will also have a striking staircase that will ascend from the canyon to the entrance of the property and will offer "unrivalled views of the valley in all its beauty."
The final hotel is set to be a place for guests to kick back and relax - as it will be wellness retreat with a twist.
The retreat will have an impressive high-tech, reflective facade mirroring the surrounding beauty and valley walls.
It will also boast rooftop infinity-style pools across the three properties and will offer extensive guided wadi walks, and enthralling hikes set in the valley’s dramatic mountain landscapes.
Futuristic sky-high city
Epicon is the latest megalomaniac development to be announced by Neom on November 15.
This futuristic coastal city will feature residential beach villas, hotels, and a luxurious resort.
Located on the Gulf of Aqaba, Epicon will be comprised of two ultra-modern towers, measuring 738ft and 908ft.
The sky-high destination will be home to 41 hotels and luxury homes, offering 14 suites and hotel apartments.
Close to the pair of luxury towers, Epicon's very own resort will be located, featuring 120 rooms and 45 stunning residential beach villas.
Epicon will also offer a beach club, spas, an array of recreational activities and water sports, culinary options for every palate, and the natural beauty of the shorelines in Neom.
Epicon guests and residents will also have access to a cutting-edge gym, library, workspaces, swimming pools, and lounges.
“Epicon’s guests and residents can expect a truly immersive and life-affirming experience,” Saudi Press Agency said.
Urban oasis
This seven-mile-long canal will be an urban oasis to 130,000 people in Saudi Arabia.
ROSHN Group announced the Marafy project in August and will be built in the city of Jeddah as the first manmade canal in Saudi Arabia.
Developers promise it will provide a waterfront comparable in size to those of Chicago, Stockholm, Hamburg, and central London.
The idea is to bring the marine environment into the heart of a historic city that has been welcoming traders, travellers, and pilgrims for centuries, Al Arabiya reports.
The 328ft-wide urban waterway will connect to and extend Obhur Creek and will be surrounded by multiple unique districts.
The project is expected to breathe new life into Jeddah, creating an urban water corridor to link homes and communities with nature and commerce.
“Marafy will be a game changer on the real estate development sector, raising the bar of development in the region, boosting the quality of life, and creating a huge impact in Jeddah,” ROSHN Group CEO David Grover said.
"It is one of the iconic projects that will put Jeddah on the map of the world class destination, and one of contributors to achieving VISION 2030 goals of creating a vibrant community and a thriving economy.”
Snow resort
Saudi Arabia is a country associated more with sand than snow - but the desert kingdom has grand plans to become a leading winter sports centre.
The coming years could see the resort of Trojena join places like Val d'Isere, Verbier and Zermatt as one of the world’s top ski resorts.
Trojena will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games and work has already begun to transform the barren region into a futuristic resort.
It will be built in the Sarawat mountains about 30 miles east of the Red Sea coast, an area which is 10C cooler on average than the rest of the region.
It will come complete with a man-made freshwater lake and a nature reserve as well as outdoor ski slopes.
But there have already been questions about whether there will be enough natural snow to support winter sports activities.
A promotional video shows skiers making their way up from the desert to the mountains in the north-western Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia.
And Neom managing director Jan Paterson reportedly admitted “up to 70 per cent” of it will be artificial.
Fraser Wilkin, an expert on snow, believes the amount of snow will be “meaningless”.
There might be “the odd shower or storm in the winter” but there will be “whole months on end of clear blue skies”, he said.
There have also been questions raised about claims the resort will be sustainable.
The construction of Trojena would require "blowing up large portions of the landscape" to build an artificial lake in the centre of the resort, reports Bloomberg.
Making the snow and ice will also consume vast resources, says Dr Madeline Orr, founder and co-director of the Sport Ecology Group at Loughborough University.
“Undoubtedly, the energy and water resources required for ski facilities and ice rinks will be extraordinary,” she said.
“I’ll be watching to see how they make it happen, but I have serious concerns about any claims this event will be sustainable.”
Luxury island & yacht club
Sindalah will be the first tourist destination to open in the megacity.
The Sindalah island resort, scheduled to open in early 2024, will be the first of ten regions completed as part of the Neom mega-development in north-eastern Saudi Arabia.
This luxury island destination, spread across 840,000 square metres, will include several upscale hotels, a large yachting marina, a beach club, a wellness centre, and luxury shopping outlets.
Visitors to Sindalalah can make the most of their trip by participating in kayaking, kite surfing, water skiing, and scuba diving.
And the resort will be built around an 86-berth marina and yacht club designed by Luca Dini Design and Architecture, known for creating superyachts.
“Sindalah will be NEOM’s first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea, providing a scenic gateway to the Red Sea that will become the region’s most exciting and attractive tourism location,” bin Salman said.
“It will be a destination where travellers can experience the true beauty of Neom and Saudi Arabia, above and below the water, making Sindalah the future of luxury travel.”
The Arabian highland
Alwadi - nicknamed the Arabian Highland - promises to be a "first of its kind" urban lifestyle getaway for local and international tourists.
Alwadi will feature five distinct districts consisting of 2,000 residence options ranging from luxury apartments to modern villas.
It will also see high-end hotel accommodations, commercial spaces and high-quality office areas.
The project is set to contribute more than £4billion to the Kingdom’s non-oil GDP by the end of the decade and create thousands of jobs, Al Arabiya reports.
It will span 2.5 million square metres, adopting architectural styles and character inspired by the heritage and unique character of the Aseer region.
More than 30 per cent of the project's area will be dedicated to green and open spaces, including 9.9 miles of waterfront and more than 10 miles of walking and cycling tracks.
Oxagon industrial city
OXAGON, a floating city, is billed as the world’s largest floating structure, Parametric Architecture reports.
It will be built in the southwestern area of NEOM and half it will float in the Red Sea, which averages 500 meters deep.
"OXAGON will contribute to redefining the world’s approach to industrial development in the future, protecting the environment while creating jobs and growth for NEOM," said Mohammed bin Salman.
"It will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional trade and commerce and support creating a new focal point for global trade flows."
Developers promise OXAGON will establish the world’s first fully integrated port and supply chain ecosystem.
The port, logistics, and rail delivery facilities will be unified, providing world-class productivity with net-zero carbon emissions and setting global standards in technology adoption and environmental sustainability.
