Last month, there were two conflicting reports about Saudi Arabia’s pharaoh project, which Neom and The Line presented as launch offers. On the one hand, we learned that influencers lived in the first established neighborhoods, and the situation did not look good. On the other hand, the plan appeared to be gaining ground, to the point of consuming 20% ​​of the world’s steel. Now Neom has officially completed its first phase.

News. Designed by Italian studio Luca Dini Design and located five kilometers off the coast of Neom, Sindalah was presented to the public as the first completed project and district of the futuristic megacity (out of ten that Neom will own). According to the images, we are talking about an 840,000 m² artificial reef with a very clear goal: money and luxury, with 86 moorings and a magnificent harbor with yacht services, hotels, beach and golf clubs. . Arab Puerto Banús is now a reality.

Port numbers. Neom CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr underlined that Sindalah symbolizes the determination to transform luxury tourism in the region within the scope of the project called Vision 2030. “The realization of this iconic destination, the gateway to the Red Sea, will be indebted to the company’s visionary leadership. His Highness Mohammed bin Salman and the Saudi Vision 2030 strategy,” he said.

We are faced with an island with 440 rooms, 88 villas and 200 apartments, and the idea and expectations of the project are to host up to 2,400 visitors daily until 2028.

Luxury, luxury and more luxury. As we can see, it is clear that Sindalah Island was designed as an exclusive destination for the richest on the planet, focusing on high-end tourism in the Red Sea. To achieve this, there will be a yacht club, beach clubs and of course the golf club designed by Italian fashion brand Stefano Ricci.

It will also offer hundreds of hotel rooms, private villas and more than 200 service apartments. It will also feature luxury shops and yacht management services, offering “visitors a luxurious and personalized experience focused on comfort and exclusivity.” For example, it is known that a resort and hotel will be operated by The Luxury Collection, there will be another hotel from the Autograph label, and Four Seasons is planning to open another. Reasonable doubt revolves around whether more could fit in this space.

Debates and architecture. As we have said before, despite this openness, Neom has faced a lot of international criticism for alleged suppression of human rights in its construction, particularly with reports of forced evictions of the Huwaitat tribe, three of whose tribes are said to be subject to the death penalty. members. In fact, these concerns sparked debate in the architecture and human rights communities, questioning the ethics of participating in such a project.

In this context, many architects have raised their voices to ask whether it is really worth participating in a study that raises such doubts about fundamental rights.

And more doubt. The news that came in the past months was not what one would expect from a project of this scale. We already said this in June, when the plan collapsed before it became a reality. The BBC later reported that Saudi officials had received permission to kill local villagers who stood in the way of evacuation orders to open the area for development. And according to the press, one person was shot dead after the protest.

A few weeks ago, The Wall Street Journal ran a special that gave insight into the chaos in megalomaniacal investments, with fights among executives and accusations of racism, misogyny and corruption. In fact, the news outlet reported that in one case, a manager bragged about the deaths of three construction workers and said in a phone call that “we should have a meeting on Sunday night because so many people are dying.” Meanwhile, the manager in question has been replaced.

Pictures | NEOM

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