Saudi Vision 2030 launches with Sindalah luxury resort

Saudi Arabia presents the first element of its mega-city Neom - the luxury resort of Sindalah - in this one-minute ad, describing it thus: "Located in the pristine waters of the Red Sea, Sindalah offers a breathtaking blend of natural beauty, luxurious design, and state-of-the-art innovation". The futuristic Neom project emerged from Saudi Vision 2030, a plan to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy and develop public-service sectors (Wikipedia). The project, known as The Line, includes plans for robots to perform functions such as security, logistics, home delivery and caregiving, and for the city to be powered solely with wind and solar power as it develops into a global tourism center. Like other smart-city schemes, it is attracting criticism over perceived control mechanisms inherent in a planned urban centre dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). Amid the immense scope and stunning architectural design, there are reports of indigenous tribes being driven out of their land, environmental concern, and deaths of migrant workers involved since the project launch in 2016, resulting in withdrawal of some investment. What do you think of the actual ad? Does it inspire you?

Keywords: Sindalah NEOM, Saudi Vision 2030, futuristic megacity, luxury marina, AI driven urban centres, Saudi Arabia, global tourism