Crown prince sends strong message to doubters 
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that ºÚÁÏÉçÇø will continue to prove doubters’ thinking wrong when it comes to completion of the Kingdom’s megaprojects, including The Line in NEOM.
In a TV interview with Discovery Channel, the crown prince said: “They say about a lot of projects happening in ºÚÁÏÉçÇø: ‘It can’t be done (and) this is very ambitious.’ They can keep saying that and we can keep proving them wrong.â€
The Line is one of three new cities — along with Oxagon, a hub for industry and technology, and the tourist-focused Trojena — that promise a civilizational revolution, putting humans first and providing an unprecedented urban living experience, while preserving the surrounding nature.
It will be built on an area 200 meters wide and 170 km long, and is designed to eventually accommodate 9 million people.
The concept redefines urban development and what cities of the future should look like. The megacity has no roads or cars, and will be run on 100 percent renewable energy, with 95 percent of land preserved for nature.
Unlike traditional cities, people’s health and well-being will be prioritized over transportation and infrastructure.
The ideal year-round climate will ensure that residents can enjoy the surrounding nature.
Residents will also have access to all facilities within a five-minute walk, in addition to high-speed rail — with an end-to-end transit of 20 minutes.
NEOM city is an audacious dream built on the Red Sea in northwest ºÚÁÏÉçÇø as a living laboratory, a place where entrepreneurship and innovation will chart the course for a new future.
The city will be a destination, a home for individuals who dream big and want to build a new model for sustainable living, working and prospering.
NEOM will provide a plethora of development opportunities, as its strategic coastal Red Sea location is notable for its proximity to international markets and trade routes.
Finally, the city is being built using artificial intelligence, and will consist of bullet trains and a hyperloop.
Such megaprojects are expected to support the growing need for more cities in the Kingdom, especially since the population is expected to reach 55 million by 2030 compared with 32.2 million revealed by the latest census.
I believe that those who doubt the Kingdom’s ability to implement such megaprojects can be classified into two groups.
The first group results from a deep hate for the Kingdom because of the blessings it enjoys, such as national security and wealth.
The second group stems from the fact that the projects are not traditional and only dreamers believe in them.
However, the Kingdom will prove both groups of doubters wrong by implementing such projects and turning them into tangible reality.
• Talat Zaki Hafiz is an economist and financial analyst. Twitter: @TalatHafiz
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