Long hailed as a city of the future, Neom serves as the focal point of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's ambitious Vision 2030 economic pivot from oil exports, envisioned as a sprawling urban, tourist, and industrial hub on the Red Sea.

The price tag for Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans runs into the trillions of dollars if fully built, far more than the country’s $1 trillion wealth fund h. as at its disposal.