Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh in 2021. Photo / Iman Al-Dabbagh, The New York TimesNeom is the centrepiece of a vast economic transformation programme that Prince Mohammed launched in 2016 to help diversify the economy and wean the kingdom off its dependence on oil revenues. It is located in the desert near the Red Sea coast and close to Jordan and Egypt. Tourist resorts in the Red Sea and Neom’s Sindalah island have recently opened, while other schemes remain under construction. Often described as the word’s largest construction project, Neom has struggled to meet ambitious expectations and seen several leadership changes in recent years.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 13, 2024 19:53 UTC