Inside Saudi Arabia’s futuristic luxury travel destination, Neom: 33 times bigger than NYC, Crown Prince MBS’ multibillion-dollar project has a ski resort in the desert and a zero-gravity skyscraper

Feb 9 , 2023

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s extravagant US$1 trillion mega-project Neom in Saudi Arabia could redefine luxury holidays in the nation. Photo: Neom

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has grand plans for a luxury travel destination set to be 33 times the size of New York City when completed

Sindalah Island – opening in 2024 – could be more extensive than Disneyland, while the octagon-shaped city Oxagon could be the world’s largest floating structure

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s mega-project Neom has already established unprecedented records of inventiveness, architecture and luxury living. Skyscrapers the Mirror Line could cost US$1 trillion to build, the Wall Street Journal reported last year, while other outlets estimated the entire city may set developers back a cool US$500 billion. Converting a abstracted mega opus into a tangible reality in the Tabuk Province in northwestern Saudi Arabia is this great giga-project.

Amid Neom, which will be 33 times the size of New York City when completed, comprises The Line, an elongated “linear” city challenging gravity, and Trojena, a year-round outdoor skiing resort built in a desert, challenging nature. Neom’s Sindalah Island, more extensive than Disneyland, is set to be a well-appointed paradise redefining lavish holidays, and the octagon-shaped city, Oxagon, could win the title of world’s largest floating structure, its developers claim.

Saudi CEO of Neom Nadhmi al-Nasr speaks during the last day of the Future Investment Initiative FII conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh, in October 2018. Photo: AFP

These massive structures will be surrounded by giant fake moons, animatronic dinosaurs, robots and tropical rainforests, making Neom city larger than Kuwait. It may reportedly take Neom another 50 years to be completed – decades that will surely advent a new way of life. But the magic will also be witnessed as early as 2024, with Sindalah opening its gates to visitors.

Here’s everything you need to know about the four regions that make up Neom …

1. Sindalah

Sindalah boasts unique architecture indeed. Photo: Neom

What: Sindalah marks the marriage of idyllic island life with New-Age luxury

When will it be completed: 2024

What makes it unique: Italian superyacht and architecture studio Luca Dini Design and Architecture designed the 840,000-square-metre island to be an exceptional resort and a yacht club destination.

Sindalah is set to be a hot new yacht club destination. Photo: Neom

Set to open in 2024, Sindalah will comprise a yacht club, hotels, a spa, 51 luxury shops, 86 piers, 38 restaurants and a beach club. Whether you’re after superyachts, boats, golf or shopping and living it up, Neom’s luxury island will indulge every divertissement.