MAY 9 NEOM: SAUDI ARABIA'S CITY OF THE FUTURE

MAY 9  NEOM: SAUDI ARABIA'S CITY OF THE FUTURE

Uh-oh! The Saudis are accused of murdering another activist. This time it's Omar bin Abdulaziz al-Howitat. He's a lesser royal in the former Howitat Kingdom. They famously assisted T.E. Lawrence during World War I. For the last 100 years, they've been largely ignored by the House of Saud. That was before Crown Prince bin Salman decided he wanted to build his dream city on their land. When Omar refused, he was unexpectedly killed. We've posted many angry blogs about Saudi rights, so this time let's investigate NEOM.

THE NAME. You know the prefix. 'Neo' is Greek for new in Arabic as well. The 'M' stands for Mostaqbal, which translates as 'future.' Doesn't the Middle East already have a city of the future? True. For decades, Riyadh has jealously watched Dubai morph into a modern metropolis. The conservative kingdom wants to mirror Dubai, but not with all the immorality. NOTE: NEOM is always capitalized.

THE LOCATION. NEOM is found on the westernmost point of Saudi Arabia. It's close to the border: Jordan, Egypt and Israel are only 40 miles away. It's on the coast of the Red Sea, not the populous Persian Gulf. The region has amazing potential as a tourist destination. Ten miles across the sea is Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh. This popular resort attracts millions of visitors to its pretty beaches and awesome snorkeling.

THE COST. Are you sitting down? It will cost $500 BILLION DOLLARS to construct a metropolis in a remote corner of the Arabian Desert. Even the Crown Prince bin Salman agrees, calling it "the world's most ambitious project." Fortunately for him, he has direct access to the Public Investment Fund, which has trillions dollars from oil revenue to invest.

THE TECH. Fasten your seat belts! To power NEOM, the world's largest solar and wind plants are being built. To light NEOM at night, scientists are creating a giant artificial moon. To provide water for NEOM, meteorologists will employ cloud seeding to make it rain. To entertain guests, sand on NEOM beaches will glow in the dark. Yes, we saved the best for last. To get around NEOM, people will drive flying cars.

THE UPDATE. Construction on Phase One is nearing the third year. The first project is...logically...the airport. It's only got one runway and only serves commercial flights from the capital. But it has an official code: NUM. Otherwise, development is centered on NEOM BAY. It's a futuristic seaside city modeled after Singapore. The biggest obstacle doesn't involve construction: It involves negative press from murdering opposition. This thwarts foreign investment.